


"I'm doing great. Thanks for asking."

by Asshiau



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Angst, Awkward Romance, Awkward Tension, Elsa is incredibly sheltered, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Social Anxiety, anna is swamped with queen duties, anna tries to help when she can, doesn't know how to deal with emotions, elsa doesn't know how to deal with people, elsa has social anxiety, elsa is quite a gay disaster, honeymaren finds elsa quite adorable, kristoff is best boy, maybe some awkward conversations, panic gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:42:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 33,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22055008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Asshiau/pseuds/Asshiau
Summary: Elsa is not doing as great as she thought she would be...Though Elsa may finally be free and happy, she never realized how much she depended on the comfort of her sister being around in social situations.
Relationships: Anna/Kristoff (Disney), Elsa/Honeymaren (Disney)
Comments: 57
Kudos: 450





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Being isolated in her room for about 21 years of her life... I can only imagine that she has some sort of anxiety when dealing with people even after three years. Plus, she is a cannon introvert so let's play with that.

Elsa rode on the Nokk over the misty waters. The water horse gracefully galloped from Ahtohallan and towards the Enchanted Forest. Elsa liked to spend a lot of her time roaming through icy columns of the frozen ancient river. She liked watching the memories it gave, and she loved rewatching the memories of her parents. It seemed like only yesterday when all the conflict ended and she parted with her sister, but in reality, it had been several months. Though parted, they were still connected through their sturdy familial bond. Elsa thought that after everything, things would be fine… she didn’t realize that her struggles were far from over. 

Elsa swung her legs over to one side of the Nokk and slid off. She put her hand on the Nokk and gently caressed its side. Elsa suddenly heard a soft popping noise and looked up to see Bruni playfully riding on Gale. 

“Come on down little guy,” Elsa giggled as she put her hands out. Bruni enthusiastically skydived down (with the help of Gale) and rolled around in Elsa’s cold palms. Elsa laughed as she created a snow pile next to her, which the little reptile immediately jumped into. 

Elsa walked towards the Northuldra Village and took a deep breath in. Today was the day where she would overcome this tribulation. Today was the day that she could finally be free of all stress.

“Hello, Elsa!” A Northuldra woman came up to Elsa. “A nice day we are having, yes?”

Elsa froze in her tracks and tried to formulate a sentence, “Yes. It’s nice.” 

“How was your usual stroll?” The woman asked.

“Good,” Elsa nervously laughed as she averted the woman’s gaze.

A loud clanging noise resonated from behind them and then Elsa heard children laughing while some gasped. “You’re gonna get in so much trouble!”

“Well,” The woman sighed. “The kids are at it again. Talk to you soon!”

“Yes,” Elsa waved without making eye contact. “Bye,” 

The woman walked away as she yelled at the little boy, “Didn’t I tell you to be careful? You could’ve gotten hurt!”

“Sorry,” The boy replied.

Elsa walked quickly over to her tent in the far corner of the settlement, she tried to avoid any contact as the previous interaction wasn’t optimal. Once she made it inside her tent she let out a sigh. She hadn’t realized how much she relied on Anna for emotional support when dealing with people. She hadn’t realized how incapable she was with talking to people about things that weren’t… business. She had gotten used to dealing with royal matters, but she had yet to get used to regular social situations. All those years locked up in her room did a number on her. 

Even when Elsa first came, the Northuldra were eager to set up a tent for her that she was too awkward to turn them down. It was hard enough to force out wanting to set up her tent at the edge of the settlement. It made her dizzy trying to decline getting special treatment from everybody. Thankfully, now they treat her like an equal, which is a lot less stressful than them worshiping her like a spirit. Although she was the 5th spirit, it was a lot more comforting to be treated like a human--a reminder that she is indeed still just a human.

The wind blew into Elsa’s tent and it carried a carefully folded paper plane. Elsa instantly perked up and her mouth curved into a smile. She took the letter and thanked Gale. She opened it up to read what her sister wrote to her:

_Dear Elsa,  
How are you doing my sweet sister? Have you gotten used to the new environment yet? Finally, warming up to people yet? Knowing you, and by looking at the past letters, I doubt you’ve made any progress… and that’s not a bad thing! Taking things slowly, that’s always good. You’re my sister so I know you’ll warm up to them soon! Soon you’ll be chatting the night away with everyone!  
Kristoff and I are doing great! I’ve been super busy with all this queen business. How did you do it? And how did you do it alone? At least my husband is helping me… I could only imagine how terrible it was for you. Though… I did try to help… but I don’t know if I actually did. Did I help or was I mostly in the way? Don’t worry, my feelings won’t be hurt no matter what you say. Olaf misses you! We need to plan another family game night! Though right now I’m in the middle of setting up a trade partnership with some other countries. I’ll have to update you! Of course, if you ever want to stop by, I won’t stop you! We miss you so don’t be afraid to stop by!  
I hope you are doing well! Love you! _

__

__

_From your amazing sister, Anna._

Elsa took out a piece of paper and a quill dipped in ink and wrote out a letter. Through the letters she wrote, you would imagine her to be brighter in person. Elsa talked about the awkward encounter she had today with a Northuldra woman. She also talked about some memories she watched down at Ahtohallan. She gave Anna tips on being queen and what to do when she is busy. Elsa missed Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven dearly and hoped to see them soon. 

“Gale, can you take this back to Anna?” Elsa asked as she held up a paper plane. 

Gale chirped back as he picked up the plane with its gust and he flew out of the tent. Elsa smiled as she watched the plane go into the clouds. Elsa’s eyes filled with determination as she peeked out of her tent. Today was the day that she was going to talk to someone and hold a longer conversation than:

“Hi, how are you?” 

“I’m good,” 

“Bye,”

She was going to talk and try to hold eye contact for more than 10 seconds. Anna’s letter filled her up with a new resolve. If Anna was working hard as queen then Elsa could work hard to get over her anxiety. 

She stepped out of her tent with fire in her eyes.

“Hey, Elsa!” A voice called. 

Elsa’s stomach flipped as she immediately knew the owner of the voice. She turned and was met with a pair of bright, honey-colored eyes. Elsa quickly forgot her resolve and her eyes gravitated downwards and settled on the collar of the person’s shirt. 

“Hello, Honeymaren,” Elsa greeted with an awkward smile. Standing in front of Elsa was by far the most challenging trial she had to overcome: making a friend.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elsa wants to hang out with Honeymaren, but it doesn't exactly work out so she retreats to Anna to get her mind off things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's so hard to write out awkward conversations... maybe I should just go talk to someone and see what happens so I could write it down for more conversations haha.... but maybe I don't want to do that to myself.  
> I also feel like asking "How are you?" is the default and the easiest thing to ask... though it does get awkward when you don't know how to reply.
> 
> Also, Happy New Year!!!

“How are you?” Honeymaren asked.

“I’m doing great. Thanks for asking.” Elsa’s eyes wandered up to meet the girl’s gaze, but she sheepishly only made it to her nose. 

A second of silence… it was suffocating and Elsa started to panic. She just realized that she didn’t ask Honeymaren about her day and that her answer implied that she didn’t want the conversation to continue. She wanted to talk to Honeymaren, but she was terrible at small talk… or any talk that didn’t include business or a fulfilling purpose. 

“How are you?” Elsa asked Honeymaren.

“I’m pretty good, been running around, helping others with their business.” Honeymaren replied. “I’m finally free to just do my own thing now.”

Another pause in the conversation. Elsa didn’t know how to reply.

_That’s good._

_What are you going to do now?_

_Do you want to hang out together?_

_Does she even like me?_

_Am I annoying her_

Elsa’s thoughts were filled with potential replies but they were all blocked by slight fear. Elsa slightly shifted her feet as she began to overthink every little action from Honeymaren.

“Great weather we are having.” Elsa said to break the awkward silence. 

“It’s quite chilly,” Honeymaren observed. “The sky is clear, so it’s enjoyable.”

“Oh,” Elsa muttered. “I mean, I wouldn’t be able to tell. I’m used to the cold.” 

“You’re lucky,” Honeymaren laughed. “It must be nice to not worry about the cold weather in the winter.”

“Yea,” Elsa nervously laughed. She didn’t know what else to say. “How are you?”

Honeymaren laughed. “I’m well,” 

Elsa’s ears grew red in embarrassment. She realized that she had already asked that. Elsa looked down at her hands and realized the frost forming below her feet. 

“Please excuse me,” Elsa softly muttered.

“Of course,” Honeymaren replied. “Have a great day! Let’s hang out someday.”

Elsa nodded and quickly walked away towards a small lake. 

_I should’ve asked her if she wanted to do something together. That’s obviously where the conversation was going._

_How do I even know if she wanted to hang out with me? Maybe it’s good that I didn’t ask. It’s better to be safe than sorry._

_But it would’ve been nice to do something with her._

_No, she was only talking to me because she felt obliged, it’s best that we let her have fun on her own._

Elsa’s head filled with the internal conversation she had with herself. She felt bad, but she felt relieved, but that also made her feel worse. 

_Maybe I should’ve asked if she wanted to walk around with me… that would’ve been nice… especially when she put effort into talking with me._

Elsa walked up to the shallow part of the lake and waited for the Nokk to appear in front of her.The sun was setting and it dyed the waters a beautiful mix of orange and blue. The horse emerged several feet in front of her and trotted over to her. All the tension that had bubbled up inside her was instantly popped as she let out a relaxed sigh. She put her hand on the water horse’s nose and felt at ease with the element. She closed her eyes and placed her forehead on the Nokk’s forehead. The cool water calmed her nerves and she smiled. 

“Let’s go to Arendelle,” Elsa said. “Let’s go see Anna,”

“Welcome, Elsa,” A royal guard greeted her. 

“Hello,” Elsa greeted back. “Is Anna busy right now?”

“She currently is in the middle of reviewing taxes and laws in which she wanted to change.” The guard said.

“Oh…” Elsa’s formal demeanor faltered. What should she say? She was doing so well.

“Elsa?” A bright voice called. “Is that you?” 

Elsa turned and smiled when she saw Kristoff. 

“Kristoff!” Elsa exclaimed. She was so relieved to see him. He was one of the few people she felt comfortable around.

“It’s been a while!” Kristoff said as she gave Elsa a big hug. 

Elsa, for once, didn’t mind the awkward position she was in and hugged the taller man back. 

“Come on in,” Kristoff laughed. “This is also your home, you don’t have to ask for permission to come in!” 

“I was just asking if Anna was busy,” Elsa chuckled. “I didn’t want to interrupt her if she was.”

“She’d be more than happy to take a break from her work,” Kristoff said. “Though if you don’t want to interrupt you can always just wait inside. You don’t have to just stand outside and wait.”

“I’ll keep that in mind for next time,” Elsa replied. 

“It’ll also save you from talking to people that you don’t want to,” Kristoff teased.

“It’s not like I don’t want to talk to them,” Elsa said in a slightly defensive tone. “They are all kind people… but you’re right…”

Kristoff laughed. The two of them have grown closer in the last couple of months through their family game nights and occasional notes. They were close enough for Elsa to be able to look at him in the eyes and hold a long conversation. She appreciated the efforts of Anna’s husband. He’s a man deserving of every blessing. 

“Where’s Olaf?” Elsa asked. 

“Come on, Sven!” Olaf’s voice rang out through the halls of the castle. “I want to reinforce my theory of space and time! Follow me!”

Olaf rounded the corner followed by his reindeer friend. Olaf gasped as he saw Elsa. 

“Elsa!!” Olaf yelled as he ran towards Elsa with open arms. He hugged Elsa’s leg and looked up at her. “You’re just in time to witness my theory become a truth!”

“Oh yeah?” Elsa giggled as she booped Olaf’s nose. “And what would that theory be?”

“Time is only an illusion and is relative to speed.” Olaf said. “You see, this is only a theory, but how fast do we need to go for time to slow down or speed up? Thus me and Sven are going to test this out as we are going to run full speed down a strong decline.”

Elsa’s mind couldn’t quite wrap around this theory, as it made less sense than his “water has memory” theory. 

“How about we stay safe and stay indoors,” Elsa suggested. “I mean, I haven’t been back in a while.” 

“That sounds like a better idea,” Olaf bounced. “What are you doing back here?”

“Just needed to take a break,” Elsa admitted. “It’s not easy talking.” 

“I can’t relate,” Olaf shook his head. “I love talking!”

“Yes, you do,” Elsa laughed. 

Sven grunted in agreement and nudged Olaf playfully. 

“How are you, Sven?” Elsa asked as she rubbed behind his ear. 

Sven grunted happily and pushed his head against Elsa. Elsa couldn’t help but laugh. 

“It’s really nice to see you all,” Elsa said. “I try to get over my nervousness when speaking with the Northuldra… but it’s not as easy as I thought it would be.”

“Hey, baby steps,” Kristoff tried to comfort Elsa. “You’ll get there as you did with me.”

“Thanks,” Elsa smiled.

“Elsa?” Anna came into the room. “Elsa!”

“Anna!” Elsa opened her arms and embraced Anna as she ran into her arms.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” Anna said. “I would’ve gotten ready or something.”

“There is no need,” Elsa said. “Plus I kinda just came without warning.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Anna put her hand on Elsa’s shoulder. “You are always welcome! You don’t ever need to ask to come!” 

“I wouldn’t want to be a bother,” Elsa said. “You seem really busy.”

“I would greatly appreciate if you came more often and distract me from my work,” Anna laughed. “I don’t know how you did it…” 

“Well, I enjoy time by myself, so doing work in silence isn’t too bad for me.” Elsa said. “Don’t worry, I bet you’re doing amazing.”

“I try.” Anna shrugged. “So now what’s the real reason you are here? As much as my letter probably made you remember how much you missed me, I think you have something else on your mind.”

“You always can see right through me,” Elsa sighed. “Could I talk to you? Alone?”

Elsa glanced behind her to the males occupying the room. “As much as I care for them, I think this is something I only want you to hear.”

“Of course,” Anna said. “Let’s go to our room.”

“Thanks Anna,” Elsa’s shoulders relaxed. “What would I do without you?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna and Elsa talk about Honeymaren.  
> Honeymaren and Ryder talk about Elsa.
> 
> Operation: talk and try to become friends start!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Every wonderful love story starts off with friends.   
> I hope it's not too boring, but if Elsa is taking baby steps then so are we!  
> Hope you are enjoying this fic! If you are then comments and/or kudos are very much appreciated!

“Anna, how do you do it?” Elsa said as she leaned her head against her sister’s shoulder. 

“How do I do what?” Anna asked. “You need to be a little more specific.” 

“Talk to people,” Elsa answered. “It’s so much harder than being queen!”

“I mean, when you were queen you were able to speak to people fine,” Anna said. 

“That’s different,” Elsa said. “That was for business, but now it’s just… normal talking.”

“Elsa, you’re so weird.” Anna laughed. “And I mean that in the best way possible.” 

“Hey,” Elsa replied. “Don’t patronize me.”

“I was kidding… partially,” Anna nudged Elsa. “And it’s ok if you aren’t comfortable yet with the Northuldra tribe.”

Elsa looked over at Anna with a slight pout apparent on her features. 

“But it makes me feel terrible,” Elsa groaned as she leaned back onto the pillows of her bed. “I can only imagine what they are thinking.”

“They are probably thinking nothing to what you think they are thinking.” Anna assured. “I know that your brain is telling you nasty things, but I doubt that they have any ill thoughts towards you. They are probably saying stuff like ‘she’s shy, but we’ll wait for her to warm up,’ or ‘we want her to be comfortable so we’ll start off slow,’ or other stuff like that. I know what you are thinking, and I can tell you as a fact that no one is thinking of you like that.”

“I don’t know how to deal with people… or myself.” Elsa said. “I thought I would finally be happy discovering myself and coming to terms and accepting who I am fully, but of course, isolating myself for all those years came back as a slap in the face.” 

“And that’s ok,” Anna said. “No one is perfect. There is always room to improve. I am so proud of you for finding yourself when you were in the dark. I’m so happy that you finally saw yourself the way we all see you. Like, you are literally the most badass person I know, so don’t let this stop you! Keep going forward! You got rid of the thing that held you back most of your life, so are you really going to let this stop hinder you? NO! Just like before, you’re gonna kick this problem in the ass!”

“Are those words a queen should be using?” Elsa laughed. 

“I thought it was appropriate.” Anna said. 

“Thanks, Anna,” Elsa said. “I just feel really bad because Honeymaren came up to me and it seemed like she wanted to do something together… or at least do something more than just idle chatting.”

“What did you say? Or do?” Anna asked.

“Well… I ran away to come here.” Elsa sheepishly admitted. 

“Hey, that’s alright,” Anna put a hand on Elsa’s head and scooted closer. “Take baby steps,” 

“I feel terrible though, she was only trying to be friendly,” Elsa sank lower into the bed. “How am I going to face her again.”

“Well, Honeymaren is sweet, so she’ll probably approach you again. She won’t hate you because you ran away. She, like everyone else, knows that you are still adjusting.”

“You really think so?” Elsa asked hopefully.

“I’m positive.” Anna said as she positioned herself to have Elsa’s head rest against her. “Just try to talk to her like how you would talk to me.”

“Easier said than done,” Elsa smiled.

“True, but I believe in you,” Anna yawned after a couple seconds. 

“Tired?” Elsa asked. 

“Yeah,” Anna nodded. “I worked all day. Been pretty busy lately. Finally finished though!”

“That’s good,” Elsa said. “I would love to help.”

“Don’t worry about it!” Anna replied. “Kristoff helps me a lot. Plus, you got your hands full with your situation and watching over the forest and everything. Don’t worry about me! I’m handling it pretty well.” 

“I know you are,” Elsa said. “Try not to overwork yourself.”

“Noted.” Anna sighed. 

The moonlight leaked through the windows and colored their room a silvery blue. Elsa flicked her wrist and turned off the lamp flickering next to them. The two sisters cuddled together under the blankets and closed their eyes. Despite Elsa’s cool powers, the space between them was very warm and comfortable. Quickly, Anna’s snores filled the room and Elsa couldn’t help but smile. She closed her eyes and found comfort in her sister’s embrace. Soon she dreamed of magic and nature.

“So, how’s it going with Elsa?” Ryder asked her sister. 

“Do I come off as too strong?” Honeymaren asked. 

“No, just annoying,” Ryder teased.

“Hey,” Honeymaren pushed Ryder and he fell on his butt.

“I mean, you’re strong, but not when you speak.” Ryder laughed. “You’re friendly, but not in a creepy way.”

“Thanks, I’ll take that as a compliment,” Honeymaren smiled.

“I mean, I meant it as a compliment,” Ryder rubbed the back of his neck. 

“Then thanks,” Honeymaren patted his back.

“So then I take it as you and Elsa aren’t exactly getting along?” Ryder pried.

“Oh sorry, I forgot you asked that.” Honeymaren said. “She’s shy, so it’s hard to hold a conversation with her.”

“I thought you said that you and her talked well the first time you two met,” Ryder replied.

“Well, yeah,” Honeymaren said. “I thought from there we could get closer, but even then her word count was small.”

“So what are you going to do?” Ryder asked.

“What should I do?” Honeymaren sighed. “I don’t want to not talk to her, I mean, that’s mean. I also want to become friends with her, so I want to talk to her.”

“Just do what you usually do,” Ryder shrugged. “Don’t change your approach. If you guys don’t hit it off then I guess it was never meant to be. But if you want to become friends with her, she needs to be comfortable with your talkative self.” 

“That makes sense.” Honeymaren thought about it. “Do you think she hates me?’  
“No,” Ryder said. “No matter how annoying I find you, you are not hateable.” 

Honeymaren laughed and shoved Ryder again.

“You better not be attacking other people like this,” Ryder shoved back with a smile. 

“I only do it to you because I love you,” Honeymaren said sweetly.

“Tough love, I guess.” Ryder joked. “You better not treat Elsa like this.”

“Only you will get special treatment like this.” Honeymaren said.

“Right, special,” Ryder replied. “Thinking about it, where is Elsa?”

“I’m not sure,” Honeymaren’s shoulders drooped. “She kind of just left after talking to me.”

“Ouch,” Ryder said.

“Not really the thing I need to hear.” Honeymaren shot Ryder a look. 

“Did you say something weird to her?” Ryder asked. 

“I don’t think so?” Honeymaren thought. “She kinda just excused herself after a long pause.”

“Oh,” Ryder put a hand to his chin and went deep into thought. “I’ve never really talked to her, but is she one of those kinds of people that can’t really hold a conversation?”

“I don’t know,” Honeymaren said. “I hardly know her yet.”

“Well from what I’ve heard, and I’m still learning, is that there are people who get self conscious or get scared from talking to people. Do you think she is one of those people?”

“Isn’t that too big of an assumption?” Honeymaren asked. “She might just be shy and not used to the new environment yet.”

“That is also true,” Ryder nodded. “Either way, she’s not comfortable yet so don’t worry too much about what she thinks of you. She just needs to get used to you.”

“What would be the best way to do that?” Honeymaren asked.

“Don’t ask me, I know nothing about that stuff… let alone know how a girl thinks.” Ryder replied. “Maybe you could talk to someone she knows? Or at least someone more knowledgeable.”

“You’re right,” Honeymaren said. “Thanks, brother.”

“No problem, sister.” Ryder playfully took off her hat and messed up her hair. He placed the hat back on her tousled hair.

Honeymaren laughed and pushed her hair out of her face. She took off her hat and ran her hands through her hair. She gave Ryder a look that said “I’m gonna get you back” and he smiled and walked away towards the herd of reindeer.

Honeymaren looked up at the sky. No matter how many times she saw it, she was still amazed. Honeymaren was forever thankful for Elsa and Anna for keeping their promise to free the forest. She wanted to befriend Elsa and make her feel comfortable here. She wanted Elsa to feel comfortable with her. 

She didn’t really know who to talk to for advice, but maybe she didn’t need advice. She just needed to be herself and start off slow. After time, Elsa should warm up to her. If not, then Honeymaren would keep trying. If Elsa was going to live with them, then Honeymaren needs to put in the effort to make her feel like she is at home. 

Honeymaren pumped her fist. She got this, and she was determined to become Elsa’s friend no matter what.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is it gay panic?  
> Nope, it's just an anxiety attack.
> 
> slight trigger warning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! So school is starting up for me, so chapters probably won't come out as frequent! I'll try my best though!
> 
> If you enjoy please leave a kudo or comment! I like hearing from you guys!
> 
> So sad that Frozen 2 lost in both of their categories for the Golden Globes... it's ok, they still got so many chances to win at other award shows!

Elsa walked to the shoreline and called out for the Nokk. 

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay?” Anna said. “We could do something before you go back.”

“I would love to,” Elsa said as she placed a hand on Anna’s shoulder. “But the forest can’t watch itself. Besides, I heard that you had some business meetings today, so it’s best if you prepared for those.”

“Making me go to work,” Anna laughed. “Ok, I’ll see you around. Don’t be shy to stop by anytime! Send me notes.”

“Of course,” Elsa nodded. The Nokk formed in front of her and she climbed on its back. “I love you, Anna.”

“Love you too,” Anna smiled. 

Elsa prompted the Nokk towards the open waters and they galloped off towards the direction of the forest. Elsa took a deep breath in, appreciating the fresh, salty smell of the air. There was never a dull moment with the Nokk. Sometimes she wished she could take Anna on a stroll but their free time never lined up. 

They arrived back at the river bank of the Northuldra village. Elsa jumped off the Nokk’s back and pet it’s nose as a thank you. The horse dived into the waters and disappeared. Elsa took a deep breath. She was going to talk to Honeymaren to make up for their prior exchange. 

“You got this, you got this,” Elsa repeated to herself as she spotted Honeymaren with a fishnet full of fish. “Just ask about her day and maybe ask about the fish.”

Elsa took a deep breath and stepped closer towards Honeymaren’s location. “Just ask about her day…”

Honeymaren and Elsa met eyes and it took every fiber in Elsa’s body to not take a u-turn and run into her tent. She focused her vision on the seams of her shirt--a slight improvement from looking down. 

“H-”

“Hi, Elsa!” Honeymaren mused. She set aside the net. “How are you?”

“I’m great,” Elsa forced a small laugh… wow she hated that. “How are you?”

“I’m a little tired,” Honeymaren admitted. “But all's well that ends well.” 

“Yeah,” Elsa said. What should she say next. Her eyes wandered from the side of Honeymaren’t head to her hand. Her eyes wanted to the ground and she caught a glimpse of the fish. “I see you caught quite a lot.”

“Yes!” Honeymaren’s voice brightened. Elsa could guess from the tone of her voice that she was smiling. “There were a lot today! They all came rushing towards the bait.”

“That’s good, is that why you’re tired?” Elsa replied. 

_Elsa, you’re so stupid. What kind of question is that? Why did I ask such an obvious question. She must think I’m dumb, she’s gonna-_

“Yeah,” Honeymaren disrupted Elsa’s thoughts. “Been up since the crack of dawn just doing a bunch of stuff.”

“Why not take a break?” Elsa’s thought felt dry.

“I find it fun so I want to keep working.” Honeymaren said. “What did you do yesterday? Anything fun?”

“I went to see my sister.” Elsa said she started to feel slightly dizzy.

“That’s fun! You’re sister is really nice! She’s been busy lately right?” Honeymaren asked. “I kinda miss when we talked a while back.”

“She’d love to talk to you,” Elsa replied. Her eyes wanted upwards to quickly glance at Honeymaren’s face. She settled for a freckle on Honeymaren’s cheek.

“Honeymaren,” A man walked towards them. “Thanks again for your help, I’ll take the fish. You seem pretty occupied.”

“Thanks,” Honeymaren smiled at the man as he smiled and took the net from besides her. 

Elsa was starting to feel dizzy and her hands were trembling. She didn’t notice until now how open the space around her was. How susceptible she was to anyone’s gaze. Talking to Honeymaren made her forget about her surroundings, but now she was fully aware of how public the area was. 

_Does she think I’m weird?_

_Does he think I’m weird?_

_Does she think I’m rude for not looking at her?_

_Was he looking at me?_

_Am I talking weird?_

_Why does she keep looking at me? Do I have something on my face?_

_Is she judging me?_

_Was he judging me?_

_Is anyone else watching?_

_Are they all judging me?_

_Do I even belong?_

“Hey, are you ok?” Honeymaren asked. 

_Now she’s concerned. Now she’s looking at me more._

_She’s judging me._

“I’m sorry,” Elsa muttered. She took a step back and her eyes dropped to the floor. When she saw Honeymaren step closer, she took two steps back. “Excuse me,”

Elsa turned and dashed towards her tent. 

_Why am I running? Now they are all looking at me._

She burst into her tent and closed the entrance shut to block everything out. She felt sick to her stomach. Anger bubbled up inside of her. She thought she finally got over everything and that she was no longer afraid of anything. She still had a long way to go.

“Elsa,” Honeymaren’s gentle voice called out from behind the cloth covering the entrance. “Are you alright?”

Honeymaren’s voice was quiet enough to not attract unwanted attention, but loud enough for Elsa to hear. Honeymaren didn’t want to cause a scene and worry anyone. 

Elsa couldn’t respond. What would she say? Was there anyone else besides Honeymaren? 

_Can she hear me breathing?_

_Am I breathing to loud?_

_Am I making any weird noises?_

_Should I respond?_

Elsa trembled, but not from the cold. On the contrary, she was sweating and her palms felt sticky. She took a deep breath to suppress her powers from acting upon emotion. Though she had mastered that long ago, it never hurt to make sure. She was doing so well these past three years with Anna by her side… why did she have to regress now? Elsa was a lot more dependent on Anna than she thought she was. 

It wasn’t Honeymaren’s fault for Elsa having an attack. If anything, she had slightly distracted her from it triggering. Elsa felt terrible that Honeymaren had to shoulder the burden of watching Elsa spiral into a state of anxiety. She felt terrible that this would cause Honeymaren to think that this was her fault, when it really wasn’t.

“Sorry,” Was all Elsa could stutter. She wanted to say so much more. She wanted to fully express her feelings and get over this stupid fear… but that only heightened the anxiety.

Honeymaren paused. She didn’t want to push further as she didn’t want to stress Elsa even more. 

“Don’t apologize,” Honeymaren said in a warm tone. “You did nothing wrong. When your ready, we can chat again. Take your time, but until then, don’t hesitate to talk! I’ll be waiting for that day when you are comfortable.”

Honeymaren got up and walked away from the tent. Her heart hurt to see a person in such a state. She’s known some shy people before, but not to this scale--this was way different. She didn’t know the best way to deal with someone like that, but she wants to help. She didn’t want to see Elsa like that again. 

Honeymaren walked over to her tent and got out a piece of parchment and a quill. She hasn’t been able to talk to Anna lately because she never found the time and she didn’t want to disturb the queen… but now was the time.

_Dear Queen Anna of Arendelle,_

_It’s been a while! How have you been? Probably busy._

_I would love to just chat with you, but I’m currently writing with business in mind. It’s about Elsa. I want to become her friend but she seems more than just shy to me. Today, when we were talking, she suddenly ran off into her tent and refused to come out or barely speak. She looked… scared. It hurt me to see her like that. You are her sister so I thought that there would be no one better to talk about her than with you. What could I do better to ease her mind?_

_I would be so grateful if you would give me some advice._

_Honeymaren_

“Gale?” Honeymaren spoke to the wind. 

The wind chirped as it entered her room. It played with her hair and lifted up her hat.

“Hi, Gale,” Honeymaren laughed. “Could you do me a favor and send this over to Queen Anna?”

Gale whistled and picked up the piece of folded paper. It flew around the tent and made a loop in the air before it exited the tent and flew up into the sky. 

“Thank you!” Honeymaren called after it.

“Bruni,” Elsa said softly. 

The salamander looked at her with large beady eyes. It licked it’s eye as it stared Elsa. 

“What am I doing?” Elsa put her head between her knees. “Honeymaren was only being nice… I’m just a coward…”

Bruni climbed onto Elsa’s leg and sat on her arm. Bruni made a gurgling noise before making itself comfortable on Elsa’s cool skin.

“I wish I could be as carefree as you,” Elsa sighed. “You just enjoy people’s company and you love everyone.”

Bruni rolled on her arm and slipped off. Elsa caught Bruni before it hit the ground. 

“You need to be careful,” Elsa giggled. 

Bruni stared at Elsa and licked its other eye. 

Elsa laughed at the little animals actions before her face fell into a frown.

“Bruni, what am I going to do…”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elsa can't sleep and Honeymaren tries her best

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for 100 kudos! And thanks for those who left comments! I really enjoy reading them!
> 
> Hopefully, this chapter is good haha!
> 
> School has started so it's going to be hard updating as frequent as I have been... so please be patient!!
> 
> Thanks so much again! Hope you guys have a great day!
> 
> Leave a comment or kudos if you enjoyed (or enjoying)!

Elsa sat on the icy floors of Ahtohallan. She came after not being able to sleep… her thoughts replayed the same memories that have caused her anxiety before. She came for a distraction from all that… and she had nothing better to do as her mind was too uneasy to contemplate exhaustion. She continued to replay memories in which made her happy in her life. The memories of playing with Anna prior to the accident. Memories of her parents. Memories from the last couple of years. She even replayed memories from her parents’ life that made her happy, for example, when they first met, when her mother saved her father, and when they fell in love. 

Elsa knew that running away from her problems was the worst thing she could do and that it would only lead to more problems. Running away from Arendelle three years ago proved that point. 

“Hi, I’m Olaf and I like warm hugs,” Elsa’s younger version said to her.

“Dragon feet! Om nom nom nom!” Anna’s voice rang out.

Elsa couldn’t help but always laugh at how goofy her sister was.

“You made me.” Olaf’s voice followed Anna’s. “Remember?”

“The only frozen heart around here is yours,” Anna said as her ice duplicate punched Han’s duplicate in many pieces as he hit the floor.

All these memories around her calmed her nerves. She usually just liked to sit back and watch the action. Sitting and watching those she loved comforted her greatly. 

Once her mind reached complete serenity Elsa got up and exited the frozen river. She called for the Nokk and waited for the horse to appear. 

The Nokk appeared in the waters in front of her. The horse curiously looked at her as if to ask,

“How was it?”

“It was good,” Elsa replied, knowing the horse can’t reply regardless. “Sorry for making you busy this week.”

The Nokk neighed and playfully nuzzled Elsa’s cheek. 

“I’ll hopefully shape up soon… so we won’t have to travel as much.” Elsa promised.

The Nokk just looked at her and waited for her to mount its back. Elsa jumped on its back and they galloped back to the settlement. Soon, Elsa would have to just learn to get along with the Northuldra for they are her new family. She had to get used to them… she had to get used to talking to them. If she wanted to get better then she needed to put herself out of her comfort zone and push herself to get over her problem… but easier said than done…

Maybe tomorrow was a better day to start. Elsa was still frazzled from the day before. Today she needed some rest and needed to get in the right mindset to try to improve. If she forced it now then it probably won’t end well. 

“I’m ready now,” Elsa patted the side of the Nokk’s head. 

The Nokk whined and took off into the vast ocean waters. Elsa closed her eyes, leaned against the Nokk’s mane and focused on nature’s call. The taste of the salty wind, the sound of the gentle tide, and the feel of the sun soothed her: she never wanted this to end.

_Dear Honeymaren,_

_First off, I just want to thank you for putting the effort into getting closer to my sister. It means the world to me and it probably means a lot to her as well! I’ll give you some advice that I’ve noticed helped her get used to Kristoff and other people._

_I should mention that Elsa probably is not going to be in the right headspace to talk for now, so if you see her it’d be nice to give her some short words of encouragement or something like that. She’s probably going to rest because she doesn’t really have anyone there she could confide in… I would love to, but I don’t always have time to go over there._

_Ok, now for the actual advice!_

_You probably won’t do this, but don’t degrade her actions or emotions by telling her something that makes you think that she’s being irrational. Overall, don’t tell her that she’s overacting or ask her directly why she’s anxious. She herself can’t answer those questions as her not really knowing why she’s like that is why she isn’t better yet. Instead of being direct, be patient and kind (I doubt you have any trouble with this, but just in case). I like to be understanding all while assuring her that nothing is wrong._

_Try doing something that will distract her brain from anxiety. When just talking out in public, her mind goes haywire and she can’t help but notice every little thing and it stresses her out. Try doing a little activity with her, playing a game, creating something, or even taking a walk while talking her will help her calm down. She especially loves nature, so maybe sightseeing or admiring nature together would be a great way to get close and to make her happy and forget about her anxieties. The hard part is getting her out to do things with you, but she’ll be tempted if what you have planned is fun enough. That makes me remember, it’s better to have a set out plan. Elsa gets anxious if she feels like she has to do something to fill in time. This also explains why she is good at talking for business, rather than just socializing. So if you have everything planned out, Elsa would be more willing to participate in said activity with you._

_And my last piece of advice, for now, is to be funny! I’d say I’m pretty funny (though Kristoff tells me that I’m not… I think he just tries to annoy me) and from my jokes and goofiness, I can tell you that she enjoys a good laugh and it’ll make her a lot more comfortable. Again, this distracts her from her anxiety, so it’s a good way to get closer to her without having to hang out with her._

_In short, dealing with people with social anxiety (we don’t really know what to call people with this type of anxiety, so Olaf named it “social anxiety”. Kristoff wanted to name it neglected-as-a-child-so-now-they-hate-people syndrome… Olaf’s name is better as it is not inclusive) is hard, but it’s important to stay patient and keep an open mind._

_Again, I want to thank you for taking the time out to reach out to me to learn more. It puts me at ease to know that there are people willing to help._

_We need to just hang one day! It’s been too long I hope to hear from you soon!_

_Anna_

Honeymaren put the note down after reading it over about three times. It seemed hard, but it would be worth everything in the end. 

Honeymaren heard the faint noise of a horse neighing. She looked over at the waters and saw Elsa riding in the distance. She couldn’t help but stare, Elsa was undeniably ethereal. She shook her head, that was not the main focus. She wanted to become friends with Elsa, and that was all. What else could they be?

Honeymaren remembered Anna’s words and she decided to hold back on long conversations for now. Maybe she would say hello. Elsa arrived on land and pet the Nokk before it sank down into the water. Honeymaren decided it would be best to wait for her to come instead of going up and corner her against the shoreline. 

Elsa walked towards the settlement with her head down and her pace quickened. Honeymaren’s eyes darted to someone who started to walk towards her: Cheyenne. Cheyenne is known for being incredibly chatty… in maybe the worst way possible. Once she started talking, she wouldn’t stop. 

Elsa mentally was not ready for all that, so Honeymaren had to do something. She walked quickly towards Cheyenne, who was approaching Elsa at a fast pace. Elsa’s heart palpitated as she heard footsteps approach her.

_Someone is coming._

_They are going to talk to me._

_What are they going to think of me right now?_

_I’m not ready._

“Hey, Cheyenne!” 

_What?_

Elsa quickly looked up to see Honeymaren a couple of feet to her left. Cheyenne looked at Elsa as if to say something… though knowing her, it was probably gossip she wanted everyone to know about. 

“How are you?” Honeymaren asked. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you!”

“I’m fine,” Cheyenne replied. “What do you want to talk about?”

“Well,” Honeymaren hadn’t thought this out completely. “I heard you had some new gossip!”

“I do!” Cheyenne perked up.

Elsa took this opportunity to slide past them and go into her tent. Before entering, she looked back at Honeymaren and they briefly made eye contact. Elsa turned away as Honeymaren’s eyes pierced her. She ducked into her tent and Honeymaren relaxed a little. 

“Like can you believe that?” Cheyenne said.

“Oh,” Honeymaren realized that she had zoned out from the conversation, not like Cheyenne really noticed. “That’s absolutely crazy!”

“I know right!” Cheyenne exclaimed. “Most importantly, I can’t-”

“Hey, Cheyenne! Your baby sister is crying!” A man called from a couple of meters to the right. 

“Oh no! What happened now?” Cheyenne’s eyes opened in concern. “I’m so sorry, but I’ll have to leave! Let’s chat later!”

“Of course!” Honeymaren replied as the girl walked away. 

Honeymaren looked over at the whereabouts of Elsa. She thought about what she wanted to say. She thought it'd be better to say something to her rather than leave her alone. Even if a person wants to be alone, it doesn’t mean that they enjoy it. 

Elsa sat in her tent, her head resting against her knees. She felt guilty for running off and not saying a simple “hello” to anyone. Again, she ran away. Slowly, feelings of self-loathing seeped in and Elsa closed her eyes.

_Why me?_

_I thought I was getting better._

_Maybe I’ll never get better._

“Hey, Elsa?” A soft voice called from behind her tent drapes. 

Elsa tensed as she immediately recognized the voice--Honeymaren. Elsa squeezed her legs to her chest even tighter, her voice refused to come out.

“You don’t have to force yourself to speak if you are not comfortable enough,” Honeymaren said. “It’s ok to not be ok sometimes because, in the end, you are strong enough to overcome this!”

Silence.

“I really do hope that you are in there, or else I’ll seem crazy to be talking to nothing.” Honeymaren joked. 

Elsa let out a small chuckle, which Honeymaren heard. She smiled, it was nice to hear Elsa laugh, as she last heard it when they first met and talked about the weird, dark undertones of lullabies. 

“Don’t be scared to take your time getting used to here. New places are scary and hard to adjust to, so don’t worry about taking too long! Every one of us will be waiting for you when you are ready. I’ll be waiting for the day you feel comfortable talking with me.” Honeymaren continued. “You are doing amazing, and you will improve! I believe in you, so now you need to believe in yourself! I’ll see you soon. Rest up!”

Elsa heard Honeymaren stand up: she must’ve been sitting on the ground. Soon, the sound of Honeymaren’s footsteps disappeared and only the silent calls of nature remained. Elsa smiled to herself, her words warmed her heart and it gave her slight hope (which was a better start than none). She fell to her side and Bruni slide in her tent and made its usual clicking noise. 

“Come here,” Elsa opened her hand.

Bruni gladly ran on top of her cool hands and laid comfortably. Elsa closed her eyes and soon she drifted into sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kristoff helps Anna get her mind off her worries while Elsa devises a plan to become friends with Honeymaren.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the really short chapters. I hope they aren't annoying or rushed.
> 
> I felt like Anna and Kristoff deserved some for love so ta-dah! 
> 
> If you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a kudo and/or comment! It makes me really happy to see that people are enjoying this fic! I enjoy writing it so much!

“Hey, honey?” Kristoff called from the next room over. “Where do you want me to put these boxes?”

“Can you leave them by the door?” Anna replied. “Thanks so much, sweetie.”

Kristoff stacked the couple boxes up by the door and let out a small sigh of relief as he saw he moved the last one. 

“What was in those boxes?” Kristoff asked as he stretched his arms. “Those were quite heavy.”

“Paperwork,” Anna replied, not completely looking up at him as she continued to read over scrolls and sign off some while pushing others aside.

“That’s a lot,” Kristoff whistled at the load he moved and at the rest stacked on her desk. “Why are you so backed up? I thought you were finally finishing.”

“You see…” Anna said sheepishly. “I’ve been procrastinating and not doing all of my work… might’ve been lying to you a couple of times.”

“Anna, I love you,” Kristoff said with a certain tone of voice that Anna knew all too well.

“But?” Anna said slowly.

“But you need to finish your work before you try to have fun,” Kristoff said. “I thought you were playing around because you were almost done. I could always help you if you wanted.”

“You sound like my dad,” Anna said. “I wouldn’t want to put that on you.”

“As your consort, I think I have every right to help when my wife is under immense stress,” Kristoff said as he walked over next to Anna.

“You really don’t have to,” Anna said, still not looking up. “It’s my fault I let it get this bad, so I need to finish it.”

“Hey,” Kristoff said gently. He put his fingers under Anna’s chin and lift her head to face him. “I want to help, what can I do for you? Also, what’s wrong?”

Anna looked into her husband’s eyes and sighed. “Sorry, I’ve been on edge for a while.”

“I can tell,” Kristoff said. “You usually don’t act this gloomy. I know you don’t like to worry people, but as your husband, I want to help you through it. Sometimes you’re too selfless.” 

Anna smiled and leaned forward and kissed Kristoff. 

“Thanks, babe,” Anna said softly. “I would love it if you could look over the work for the public areas or charities. I trust your judgment so if you could stack them in piles of ‘yes’, ‘maybe’, or ‘no’ I’d really appreciate it. It’d make signing so much easier.”

“You got it!” Kristoff said.

They continued to carefully look through each document. Whenever a bigger issue arose, the two of them talked it out and discussed what they should do with it. When they both agreed on what to do, they went through with it, or they rejected it (depended on what they decided). The workload quickly diminished and soon they were done and all there was to do was to either send it back to different countries or announce to the citizens of approved new laws, regulations, etc. The rest of the work went to the workers of the country, so they could work on the public areas. 

“Finally!” Anna yelled in joy. “Never am I going to procrastinate again.”

“You said that last time,” Kristoff pointed out. 

“Let me have this moment,” Anna laughed. 

“Alright,” Kristoff chuckled. 

“What do you want to do now?” Anna asked.

“Well, I just want to ask one thing,” Kristoff said. “What’s the real reason why you’ve been stressed?”

“What do you mean?” Anna asked but she avoided eye contact. 

“I know you inside and out. You can’t hide anything from me hon,” Kristoff said gently. “Something else has been bothering you and that’s also another reason why you left all this work off until now.”

“I mean, it’s not even a big deal,” Anna replied. “I'm probably just overreacting.”

“If you’re worried about it then it must mean something to you,” Kristoff said. “I’m here to listen.”

Anna walked over to Kristoff and extended a hand to him to help him up to his feet. 

“I’d rather talk in the comfort of our bed and pajamas,” Anna smiled. “It’s annoying having to wear queen clothes all day.”

“Sounds good to me,” Kristoff replied. 

“Remember when Elsa came back?” Anna asked as they laid on their bed. 

“A couple of days ago, right?” Kristoff replied. “Is this about something you two talked about?”

“Yep,” Anna said. “Elsa came back to talk to me about her social anxiety, which is totally fine! Not everyone is extroverted and a talking-to-people expert, but I got a letter from Honeymaren and it sounded like Elsa had an anxiety attack from talking to her a day ago. That worries me… she doesn’t have anyone there to rely on or even talk to when she goes through those things. At least when she was here I could help her find comfort whenever she had an attack or felt insecure… before she didn’t seem to have too much of a problem. It sounds like she’s getting worse. Sometimes I wonder if she really is better off here than there.”

“I understand where you are coming from and your feelings of worry are completely valid, but I think that even if she seems to be getting ‘worse’ she chose to stay for a reason. Both of you decided what was best and that was that. I know you worry about Elsa, but right now Elsa is just in a new environment with new people, so she’s going to be a lot more anxious than what she was like before.” Kristoff put a hand on Anna’s shoulder. “You two have been together for most of your life, but now is the time for her to grow independently without the comfort you give her. Elsa is currently out of her comfort zone so she’s going to have to start from square one before she can continue on and act like the Elsa we know. I understand why you are worried and I’m worried too, but we need to believe that she can overcome this by herself. She can, and she will because she is strong, and you of all people know that.”

“But what if she can’t?” Anna’s eyes widened. “What if she keeps getting worse and worse.”

“Anna, take a deep breath,” Kristoff said. 

Anna closed her eyes and inhaled deeply through her nose and then let the air flow out from her mouth. 

“The Northuldra are amazing people and we know first hand by the friends we made there,” Kristoff said. “I believe that they will provide Elsa with the comfort she needs. For example, Honeymaren reached out to you to tell you. Honeymaren and her brother, Ryder, are absolutely wonderful people and I have no doubt that they will help Elsa feel at home, like how she is with you and here.”

“You’re right,” Anna said. “I can sit around worrying thinking of the worst-case scenario. I know that my sister can get over any obstacle that blocks her way. I believe in her and I’m going to support her because I know she can do it. ”

“That’s the spirit!” Kristoff patted Anna’s head. 

“Thanks so much, baby,” Anna said as she stole a kiss from his lips. “I really needed to let that out.”

“No problem,” Kristoff said. “I’m always here to be your mental/verbal punching bag.”

“You dork,” Anna laughed.

The two of them snuggled closer and Anna smiled as she looked up at Kristoff. The two shared a gentle, sweet kiss before Kristoff blew out the candle. The two of them had no problem in finding comfort as their bodies just seemed to fit together perfectly. Soon, the two drifted off to sleep. 

Elsa sat in her tent as she mumbled to yourself.

“Hi, Honeymaren,” Elsa rehearsed to herself. “Thanks for yesterday, your words really meant a lot to me.”

Elsa paused.

“What would I say then?”

“‘Do you want to do something together?’” 

“What does she like to do? I don’t really know her too much yet. Will she even want to hang out? What if she doesn’t like me?” Elsa shook her head. “No, today I will push myself. I will talk to her and hopefully, befriend her.”

Elsa continued to practice what she would say. She planned for every response for every possible answer, it would make her less anxious than to form sentences on the spot. 

Suddenly a gust of wind circled around her, lifting Elsa up slightly before gently setting her down. The air filled with the noise of a distinct chirping and something that resembled the playful laughter of children.

“Hello, Gale,” Elsa said as the wind spirit continued to circle around her and play with her hair. “Are you here to support me?”

The wind chimed and clumsily picked up a quill from the ink jar and lifted it over a piece of paper lying on the ground. The quill quivered from the wind, but Gale was trying it’s best without the use of physical hands. 

The quill dropped and Gale picked up the paper and floated it over to Elsa. She looked down at the child-like writing and after some hard examination, she could pick out letters. It read:

“Nature+walk”

“You suggest that I ask Honeymaren to talk a walk with me around the forest?” Elsa asked. 

Gale whistled in agreement and twirled around Elsa. 

“That’s a great idea, Gale.” Elsa smiled. “Thank you so much!”

Gale’s laughter rang out and it rushed out of her tent as if to prompt her that now was the time to take action.

“Now, time for the hard part,” Elsa took a deep breath in and sat back while she looked at the scribbled letters. “It’d be nice to take a walk. I could get to know her better.”

Elsa sighed as she made a silent resolve. She would try to befriend Honeymaren, then after that, everyone else.

Elsa felt a small surge of confidence for once and it felt… great! Today was the day! Today was the day that she could start breaking out of her shell and start getting over her social anxiety! 

_I got this!_

_I believe in myself._

Elsa stood up and stepped out of her tent with newfound confidence.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elsa prepares herself mentally as Ryder exposes Honeymaren to herself.

When Elsa saw Honeymaren, her confidence wavered and her heart raced. Elsa forced her confidence to stay at its current level--she couldn’t back down this time. Today, she was going to step outside her comfort zone. 

Honeymaren noticed Elsa approaching and waved. She waited for Elsa to step closer before starting their usual greetings.

“Hello, Elsa!” Honeymaren said brightly. “Great weather we’re having.”

“Hello. Yes. How are you?” Elsa said. She avoided eye contact as that was too far out of her comfort zone.

_Baby steps._

“I’m well.” Honeymaren smiled. “How about you?”

“I’m doing great. Thanks for asking.” Elsa instinctively replied. 

She was off track from what she practiced. She didn’t know what to say next. One second passed, then two, then three. It felt like an eternity of silence between the two to Elsa. Then Elsa realized what she needed to say next. She forced every fiber in her body to make out the next sentence and she held back the urge to hide.

“Do you want to do something together?” Elsa and Honeymaren said in unison. 

Elsa looked at Honeymaren in slight shock as Honeymaren did the same. They made eye contact, but soon Elsa broke eye contact. 

_Brown._

“I would absolutely love to!” Honeymaren said before Elsa could say anything. “What do you have in mind?”

“I mean, I don’t really think my idea will be as good as yours,” Elsa said in a small voice. “I’m down for whatever you want to do.”

_As long as it doesn’t include other people… or any other social interactions._

“I was thinking of taking a small hike or a walk around my favorite places later. I just need to ” Honeymaren suggested. “We could always go with your idea if you don’t fancy that.”

“That’s absolutely perfect.” Elsa replied in relief. 

“That’s great to hear,” Honeymaren beamed. “We can meet up after I finish up on my tasks. I’ll come knocking on your door, or I’ll come find you.”

“Alright,” Elsa nodded. “I’ll see you then.”

“Yep!” Honeymaren waved as Elsa turned and walked away. “See you!”

Elsa sat in her tent and fell back onto her back. The feeling of nervousness and stress dissipated and was replaced by slight excitement and joy. She stepped out of her comfort zone and it paid off. She felt incredibly proud of herself and she started to smile. She finally was going to hang out with someone outside of her family. She could finally tell Anna that she was making friends. 

Elsa quickly sat up. She put a hand under her chin as she went deep into thought. 

Did Honeymaren consider her a friend?

They’ve had their fair share of chat, but Elsa had to admit that they weren’t the best of exchanges. Elsa and Honeymaren had only really talked once before, which was when they first met and Honeymaren told her about the spirits. 

_I really started singing randomly in front of her._

Elsa remembered and she put her face in her hands. 

_So embarrassing._

Elsa slowly started to feel anxious again. Her life was always filled with rules (even if she felt constricted by them, she couldn’t help but admit that it helped). Her parents always told her what was right and what was wrong. She knew exactly what was the right thing to say or the wrong thing to say at Arendelle. Here in the Enchanted Forest, there weren’t any social rules. People usually said what they wanted and many people were open to anything. Not knowing what to say made her conversations a lot more awkward and a lot less smooth. 

Elsa shook her head. 

“Now is not the time to be thinking like this.” She breathed to herself. “You’re doing so well right now, don’t let anything stop you.”

“Honeymaren is sweet and kind,” Elsa assured herself. “She will not think ill of you.”

Elsa closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She slowly let out a long breath and opened her eyes.  
“You got this,” Elsa said. “Just like the first time you met her… casual… just let it flow…”

Elsa’s thoughts went back to her singing the Northuldrian lullaby, and her ears turned red. Did Honeymaren think that she was weird at that moment? Elsa put her hands to her ears to cool them down. 

_Does Honeymaren think I’m weird?_

“No,” Elsa muttered. “She doesn’t think I’m weird. If she did think that then she wouldn’t have asked to hang out.”

_What if it’s out of pity?_

Elsa’s shoulders slumped at the thought. 

_What if she feels obliged to get along._

Elsa plopped down on her back and sighed.

She placed her arm over her eyes and let the sound of serenity sink in. The sound of the leaves rustling from the gentle winds, the faint sound of playful banter, and the smell of fresh air calmed her nerves. 

Elsa got up and took out a piece of paper and her quill. She dipped the tip of her quill into ink and began to write a letter to Anna. She made sure to update Anna on her current condition, but most importantly she wanted to tell Anna about Honeymaren and her later plans. She made sure to add in things she was excited about to distract herself from the things that scared her. 

_My Dearest Sister, Anna,_

Honeymaren cared for the reindeer, making sure that they were all clean and well-groomed. She made sure that none of them were sick or had any injuries that could cause bigger issues. She tended to a baby reindeer, who was still having slight problems with walking.

“Hey, sister whom I adore,” Ryder said as he came up to Honeymaren. “How’s the little buddy doing?”

“He’s doing well,” Honeymaren said as she helped it stand straight. “Improving, very slowly though.”

“At least there is progress,” Ryder said.

“It’s been tough,” Honeymaren admitted. “The little guy seems to sometimes take a step backward… sometimes I wonder if he can pass this point of awkward struts.”

“It’s all about patience,” Ryder said. 

“Yeah. Just ‘cause I’m slow, it don’t mean I’m a lost cause.” Ryder said in a higher pitch voice. He liked to think he could hear what the reindeer were saying. 

“You’re right,” Honeymaren laughed. “I’ll always be here to help you up. And I’ll be here until you have enough strength to continue forward on your own. I’ll never leave you.”

Honeymaren gave the reindeer calf a pat on the head and a small kiss.

“Thank you,” Ryder said in his high voice.

“You’re welcome,” Honeymaren rolled her eyes as she looked at Ryder. 

“I think that’s enough practice for today.” Ryder laughed. “The poor baby looks tired. He needs some rest.”

“It’s almost time for feeding time too,” Honeymaren said. “Which means my work here is done for today.”

“You look excited,” Ryder said after observing Honeymaren’s attitude.

“Of course I am, I can finally do my own thing now,” Honeymaren replied.

“I mean, you look even more excited,” Ryder clarified. “You got a date?”

“No,” Honeymaren laughed. “But I’m finally hanging out with Elsa!” 

“So,” Ryder raised his eyebrow. “A date.”

“A friend date,” Honeymaren nodded. “I want to become closer to her… as a friend.”

“Is it really just ‘as a friend’?” Ryder said as he gestured quotation marks with his hands.

“Yes…” Honeymaren said after a pause.

“Sister, I’m no expert in love… or even in women,” Ryder said as he put his arm around Honeymaren. “But I’d say I know my sister pretty well, and I think you think of Elsa more than ‘just a friend’.”

Honeymaren’s face slowly turned red. 

“Ok, I just think she’s really pretty,” Honeymaren admitted. “But I don’t want to… date her…”

Ryder shook his head. 

“Sister,” Ryder smirked. “You’re blushing,” 

“Don’t patronize me,” Honeymaren groaned. “Ok, maybe I do like her, but right now I want her to feel safe here like she could do anything with fear holding her back. I feel like she is really anxious and if I try to add even more of a burden on her, she’ll crack. I’m completely fine being friends with her.”

“I get you,” Ryder nodded. “So when did it start?”

“You’re really tiresome.” Honeymaren sighed.

“I know,” Ryder said. “Come on, tell me. You don’t want to keep Elsa waiting.”

“Fine!” Honeymaren said. Her brother really knew how to manipulate her. “It started when we first talked when Elsa and Anna came. When we were talking by the fire, and I was telling her about the spirits and all that stuff, she started singing our lullaby. From then on, something kinda just erupted in me and I thought ‘Wow,’. From then on, I’ve slowly been getting to know her--though our chats have been lacking--and I just… kinda feel in love?”

Ryder’s expression was one of pure adoration. 

“That is adorable.” He said. 

“Ok, I’m going now,” Honeymaren said. “Bye, see you.”

“We better talk more about this tonight when you come back from your date.”

“Hang-out,” Honeymaren corrected.

“Yeah, sure,” Ryder teased.

Honeymaren shook her head, but a smile was plastered across her face. She was excited to finally talk to Elsa and spend time with her. This was the perfect chance to get to know her and grow closer to her.

“Knock knock.” Honeymaren said as she reached Elsa’s tent at the end of the settlement.

“Who’s there?” Elsa returned in a soft voice.

“You,” Honeymaren said.

“You who?” Elsa replied.

“Yoohoo!” Honeymaren greeted. “It’s me! Honeymaren.”

Elsa let out a small laugh before she exited the tent and stepped in front of Honeymaren. Elsa was the slightly taller girl so Honeymaren had to look up. Despite knowing that Elsa would have to look down, Honeymaren has noticed that Elsa looked down past Honeymaren’s face. It was either down at their shoes or looking to the side. 

Honeymaren didn’t mind, casual eye contact would come with time and she was willing to wait for that day when Elsa would be comfortable to look at her fully. 

“I want to show you all my favorite places!” Honeymaren said. 

Honeymaren put out a hand, a gesture of kindness and gentleness. 

“Come on,” Honeymaren said. “It’s the perfect time right now.”

Elsa looked at her Honeymaren’s hand for a couple of seconds. Honeymaren was slowly getting discouraged, but soon her mood shot upwards when Elsa tentatively grabbed her hand. It was a start and Honeymaren was willing to take it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... Frozen 2 did not get nominated for best animated film for the Oscars... so disappointing but then again the academy was always bogus. 
> 
> I wanted to do the joke "Yoohoo, big summer blowout" but I didn't because Honeymaren does not know Oaken lol!
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! As always, please leave a comment and/kudo if you enjoyed!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elsa and Honeymaren finally talk somewhat normally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's up guys! 
> 
> I really do enjoy writing this!
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy it as well!
> 
> I'm not really good at chapter summaries, but yeah! Just Elsa and her anxiety.

Elsa looked down at her hand and it took every fiber in her body and mind to control herself and not give Honeymaren frostbites. Occasionally people would greet them, which Honeymaren greeted back with ease. Elsa either gave them a short wave or a nod as she quickly walked past them. Honeymaren would adjust to Elsa’s speed, but Elsa didn’t notice as she was too busy looking down at her own feet. 

“You can’t really be doing a lot of sightseeing by looking at your feet.” Honeymaren joked after walking for a while. “Unless you find the ground interesting.”

“Sorry,” Elsa apologized as she looked up quickly.

Elsa’s eyes fell back downwards as she made eye contact with a reindeer calf.

“Tah-dah! My favorite spot!” Honeymaren exclaimed.

Elsa recognized this place as the reindeer stable at the other end of the settlement. She tilted her head as she kept staring at the baby reindeer who was curiously looking back at her.

“That’s a joke,” Honeymaren replied. “We just need to use them for transportation. Once we get close, we can walk the rest of the way.”

“That sounds good,” Elsa said. 

Honeymaren noticed Elsa looking at the calf and realized why.

“He can’t walk yet,” Honeymaren explained. “He is a little slow at learning for some reason.”

Elsa’s mental focus shifted from her anxiety to her curiosity. 

“You don’t know why?” Elsa asked.

“We’re thinking that it’s because he is premature and thus his brain hasn’t matured as fast to where he can walk yet. Or maybe it’s just a physical disability he was born with. Either way, we are trying to help him.” Honeymaren said. “And when I say we, I mean my brother and I… not a second personality within me.”

Elsa laughed at the joke. The tension building inside Honeymaren had disappeared. Distracting Elsa’s anxiety by doing something else really seemed to help. That could explain why they were able to communicate so well the first time they talked, Elsa was distracted by the thought of her mother and the thought of the spirits. 

“Does he have a name?” Elsa asked.

Honeymaren thought about it. Did they ever give him a name? Honeymaren and Ryder were the only two in charge of the calf. Honeymaren forgot to name him.

“He doesn’t,” Honeymaren admitted. 

Suddenly, a thought lit up in her brain.

“Do you want to name him?” Honeymaren asked Elsa.

“I can’t,” Elsa shook her head. “I mean, you’re the one raising him.”

“Well, he seems to like you and you seem to like him,” Honeymaren said. “Plus, I’m not good at names,”

“It just feels wrong,” Elsa replied. 

“It’d be wrong for me to name him Bill,” Honeymaren joked. “So think of this as saving him from having a terrible name for the rest of his life.”

Elsa laughed without looking at Honeymaren. 

“How about Willamar?” Elsa suggested. “Will, or Willy for short?”

The reindeer calf grunted happily and jumped up before stumbling into Elsa’s lap. Elsa made sure the reindeer did not hurt himself before she set him back on his feet, where he continued to wobble a little.

“That’s a really nice name. Why did you pick it?” Honeymaren asked.

“It just sounded like it fit,” Elsa admitted. “There really isn’t anything deeper than that.”

“Well, Willy seems to like it,” Honeymaren said as she rubbed the back of his ear. 

Honeymaren stood up and let Elsa get a chance to pet Willy, who enjoyed Elsa’s touch. Honeymaren’s eyes softened at the sight of Elsa smiling. She felt no anxiety from Elsa--only tranquility and satisfaction. Honeymaren smiled as she watched Elsa. Honeymaren caught herself staring and thanked the spirits that Elsa didn’t notice.

Honeymaren paused. 

Does thanking the spirits also mean she’s thanking Elsa? 

_Thank you, Elsa, for not noticing._

Honeymaren laughed at the slight irony. 

Elsa looked up at her, then averted her eyes. 

"I’m so sorry, I wasn’t laughing at you,” Honeymaren waved her hand to dismiss the thought. “Sorry, I just had a funny thought.”

Honeymaren thought that Elsa would ask what she was laughing at (not like she would actually tell her because it was embarrassing but she formulated a little lie to cover up the real reason) but Elsa didn’t ask and she looked down at the ground in front of her.

The awkward silence was broken when Willy snorted and let out a bark-like sound. He took a shaky step before plopping down on its stomach. 

“Don’t worry, little bud. You’ll get there.” Honeymaren said encouragingly. “Come on, you should be resting right now. We don’t want you to exhaust yourself, Willy,”

Elsa watched as Honeymaren picked up the reindeer calf and brought it back into the stables. She tried to shove the feeling of unease away but after hearing Honeymaren laugh at something she didn’t know… it made her anxious.

_Was she laughing at me?_

Elsa could ask her about it… but that made her even more anxious. 

_It’s just in my head._

Elsa shook her head. Today she was going to have a great time and she is not going to get consumed by her negative thoughts. She watched Honeymaren walk out and wave to Elsa, prompting her to come over. Elsa stood up, patted the dirt off her pants, and walked towards her. 

“I know I said we would go on a walk,” Honeymaren said. “But as I said, we’ll just use them to get there quickly.”

“I don’t mind riding around,” Elsa suggested. 

“Yeah,” Honeymaren considered. “But you do that all the time anyway. Let’s change it up a bit.”

Elsa walked towards one of the reindeer and put her hand on its long nose. She smiled at the soft feeling under her fingers. 

“Her name is Kore,” Honeymaren said. 

“Hello, Kore,” Elsa laughed as Kore nuzzled her hand. “I’ll be in your care,”

Elsa’s hands felt warm against the animal's fur. The Nokk is smooth and cool, so she reveled at this new feeling of softness and heat. 

Elsa climbed on the reindeer and enjoyed every second of this new sensation. The fur of the reindeer felt different from the groomed horses at Arendelle, which was not a bad thing at all.

“Ready?” Honeymaren asked. She was already mounted. 

Elsa nodded with a hint of a smile. Her smile faltered as the thought of Honeymaren laughing pierced through her mind. She tried to convince herself that it was nothing… but her trying wasn’t enough. 

_She was laughing at me._

The sound of Honeymaren’s laugh rang through her ears. She looked down and clenched her hand into a fist to stop it from shaking and to stop herself from losing control.

_Was she judging me?_

“Elsa?” Honeymaren leaned down. “Is everything alright?”

Kore nudged Elsa and brought her back to reality with a jump. Elsa looked at Kore and she rubbed her head against Elsa’s cheek. Elsa smiled, her nerves went down. She gave Kore a small pat in gratitude. 

“Yes,” Elsa said. “Sorry, let’s go.”

She didn’t want to ruin the day for Honeymaren. She needed to toughen herself and take the extra step… even if discomfort washed over her occasionally… maybe she should ask Honeymaren about why she laughed. Elsa shook her head, it probably didn’t matter.

_Why do I care so much?_

_It’s because you’re not mentally stable. Why try?_

Elsa started to shake. She shrank behind Kore to hide from Honeymaren’s view. She grasped onto the reindeer and shook her head to dissipate the thoughts. She helped herself up and felt the warmth radiate from the animal under her. It was soothing, in a sense. 

“Follow me,” Honeymaren said as she prompted the reindeer forward. 

Elsa followed close behind. Slowly looking up, she smiled as the feeling of freedom dawned on her again. She could never get over this feeling. Honeymaren looked behind her to see Elsa’s eyes sparkling and her smile growing. She had yet to notice Honeymaren looking at her, and that was probably for the best.

Honeymaren smiled. Although Elsa was an adult, she emanated childish joy. Maybe one day Elsa could smile every day, regardless of the situation. 

Honeymaren slowed down and then soon the two were riding side-by-side. 

“You enjoying the view?” Honeymaren asked. 

“Of course,” Elsa replied. “No matter how many times I explore, it never fails to amaze me.”

“I’m just hoping that you’ll fancy the places I’ll be taking you,” Honeymaren said. 

“If you find it beautiful,” Elsa turned to face Honeymaren. “Then I will find it beautiful.”

Honeymaren blushed. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing would come out. Despite the autumn leaves painted around her, Honeymaren’s eyes were only focused on Elsa’s beautiful smile. Elsa’s eyes widened and she looked downwards. She was too distracted by the view that her inner thoughts were muted. 

It was a nice change though. It was nice to act without her thoughts controlling her for once. Just like when they first talked, she was distracted by the thought of her mother and the spirits that she didn’t care about her insecurities. 

She liked that feeling.

Elsa wanted to forget her anxiety, but for now, it was back. She hoped for another distraction. 

“We’re here!” Honeymaren exclaimed. 

Elsa looked up and her mouth opened in awe. It was an open field surrounded by brightly colored trees. In the middle of the area was a small shallow lake that glistened from the setting sun. The sky stained the waters with colors of red, orange, and purple. 

Elsa was left speechless.

“Come on, let’s walk around,” Honeymaren said as she dismounted the reindeer. "It'd be a waste of exercise if we didn't."

Elsa nodded eagerly. She stepped down from Kore and followed close behind Honeymaren. Her anxieties soon were forgotten were replaced by the names of various colors. 

“It’s a perfect day for a walk.” Honeymaren started the conversation.

“And it’s the perfect time of day,” Elsa said. “How could I have missed such a wonderful place?”

“This place is towards the East, while Atohallan is towards the North,” Honeymaren said. “So direction wise, it makes sense.”

“I guess you’re right,” Elsa replied. “I should try to explore more.”

“But then all my favorite spots will be spoiled,” Honeymaren said. “And it won’t be as shocking when you see it with me.”

“So will this be a regular thing?” Elsa turned her head slightly towards Honeymaren, but stopped and looked forward again. 

“I think it’ll be a nice way to get to know each other.” Honeymaren shrugged. “It’d be nice to, you know, become closer friends?”

“That would be nice,” Elsa smiled towards the ground. The thought of having a friend here was nice… but slightly terrifying. 

Elsa wanted to say something else. She wanted to make an effort to say something first, but the thought made her anxious. 

_Baby steps._

Talking to Honeymaren somewhat normally (without any fear) was her first priority. Right now, Elsa was slowly easing into Honeymaren’s company. Maybe it was the walk, maybe it was the distracting scenery, or maybe it was Honeymaren that made her more comfortable. 

“What do you usually do over at Atohallan?” Honeymaren asked.

“I like to watch memories of the past,” Elsa said. “Nothing too cool… sorry to disappoint.”

“What do you mean disappoint?” Honeymaren laughed. “It’s not like I was expecting you to be summoning some huge magical creature or something.”

Elsa flinched at Honeymaren’s laugh. Again, the thought of Honeymaren laughing earlier pierced through her mind and all progress towards forgetting was lost. 

Elsa had to ask… or else it would forever be seared into her brain and then it’ll add to the long list of triggers.

Elsa didn’t want that. 

Elsa took a deep breath and resisted against shaking… god did she hate confrontations.

“Honeymaren?” Elsa said softly.

“Yes?” Honeymaren raised an eyebrow.

“Why were you laughing earlier?”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Honeymaren and Elsa get closer and have a fun time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter satisfies you guys! I had fun writing it and I tried my best to make it good. 
> 
> I've been writing this instead of doing my homework... which is good and bad!
> 
> This chapter is a little shorter, but I think it gets the point across... Hopefully.
> 
> Like always, if you enjoyed then please leave a comment and/or kudo! It makes me really happy to read them!

Elsa’s voice shook and her hands made their way up towards the middle of her body. Why did she ask? She wrapped her arms around her body. 

_Honeymaren probably thinks I’m weird now… she probably thinks I’m overly paranoid._

Elsa soon regretted asking and sunk into herself. She should’ve kept it all in… like she usually does. 

“Why was I laughing?” Honeymaren repeated to make sure she heard right.

“You know what,” Elsa said as she took a step back. “Nevermind, it’s nothing.”

“Hey, it’s not nothing.” Honeymaren said as she slowly took a step further. She stopped once she saw Elsa bite her lip. It hit Honeymaren that Elsa had not been able to completely relaxed because of this misunderstanding. Honeymaren had to clear those thoughts… or else Elsa would be taking one step back from calling Northuldra a home. 

“I wasn’t laughing at you.” Honeymaren assured. 

Honeymaren took a step closer and was relieved to see that Elsa has not stepped away. She pressed further and took a step closer. She slowly put her hands up and made sure Elsa saw them before gently placing them on Elsa’s shoulders. Elsa flinched so Honeymaren quickly removed her hands. From that second of contact, Honeymaren’s hands became cold. Elsa felt cold as if she were holding in her icy powers from leaking out any more. 

“I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you why I laughed earlier. I didn’t realize how rude it was to not explain, so I can understand why you thought what you thought.” Honeymaren said. “But I swear that I wasn’t laughing at you.”

Elsa kept looking down and her body temperature was still low. Honeymaren could feel the slight chill from Elsa’s body. She was still scared.

“It’s quite embarrassing why I laughed.” Honeymaren knew that the only way to give Elsa even a small amount of relief was to tell the truth. “But I laughed because you acted really cute earlier with Willy so I was scared you would notice me watching, so I thanked the spirits but then realized the irony behind that. I would never laugh at you… I was laughing at myself.”

_She’s lying to you._

_She only said that to make you feel better, but she really thinks that you are a joke._

Elsa’s mind flooded with thoughts, but she tried to push them away. Something told her that Honeymaren wasn’t lying and that it was the truth. There was something about Honeymaren. Something… calming. 

Elsa’s body started to rise in temperature and her grip on herself loosened.

“Sorry,” Honeymaren smiled. “Please, if I do anything that upsets you in any way, tell me so I could change that or clear it up. Also, if you are thinking that I’m doing this out of pity or something like that, you are wrong. I’m doing this because I like you and I want to become someone you can rely on--a friend in short.”

Elsa nodded. Honeymaren shot down any insecurities she had at that moment, and for once, she felt at ease without the help of any outside forces. 

“Thank you,” Elsa smiled at Honeymaren.

Honeymaren wanted to say something, but she was mesmerized by Elsa’s smile. She blushed when she realized she was staring again. She cleared her throat to make sure nothing would get caught when she spoke.

“No problem,” Honeymaren stumbled over her words. “Come on! Don’t you want to walk around?”

“I would love to,” Elsa said. 

Honeymaren and Elsa walked around, kicked small pebbles around, and chatted. Elsa learned more about Honeymaren and more about Northuldra. Honeymaren learned about Elsa’s life before coming to Northuldra. She learned how Elsa reigned as queen and her life with Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven.

Elsa made quick glances at Honeymaren, but she avoided eye contact. Honeymaren didn’t mind, that would come soon after the became more comfortable. 

The sky turned purple and was turning into a dark blue. 

“It’s getting late,” Honeymaren pointed out. “We should head back.”

“Alright,” 

Elsa and Honeymaren went back to the two reindeer, who made their way over to the small lake. 

“Let’s go home,” Honeymaren said to the two reindeer. 

The reindeer slowly stood up and the two women mounted on their backs. Honeymaren lead the way back, the sky was growing darker with each second. Usually, Elsa would think that she couldn’t wait to get back, but instead, she didn’t want this day to end. It was fun.

“Thanks for hanging out with me today,” Honeymaren looked back and smiled. “It means a lot to me.”

“No, thank you,” Elsa said. “It was really nice.”

Today was a nice change of pace. It was something that Elsa needed. Elsa was still a little nervous to admit it, but it meant the world to her that Honeymaren was so understanding. 

They arrived back at the stables and Honeymaren put her hand out to help Elsa dismount. Honeymaren knew that Elsa didn’t need the help, but she still wanted to be considerate. 

Elsa looked at her hand and a faint smile appeared on her face. Elsa took Honeymaren’s hand, this time with more confidence, and she stepped down from Kore. Honeymaren’s hand was warm. 

“Thank you,” Elsa said it was easier to look at Honeymaren’s face in the dark. It still made her anxious, but the night would hide that. Right now, she was happy that she was making progress. 

“No problem!” Honeymaren smiled. “I hope we can do this again.”

“Definitely.” Elsa nodded. 

_Dear Anna,_

_I promised that I would update you, so here I am._

_Today was actually really fun. Honeymaren is incredibly kind and sweet. We walked around and talked about ourselves. I learned that she likes the color yellow. It really fits her character._

_I did have a slight attack but she was very caring and took everything slow, so I really appreciated that. It’s nice to know that there is someone here I can be comfortable with… though not completely yet. I’m working towards it. I really hope I don’t burden her though… You don’t think I’m burdening her right?_

_I think, slowly I can find comfort in everyone else as well. You said baby steps and I’m going to follow that as it’s less stressful to think about._

_Write back soon! I want to hear about you and what’s happening over there._

_Elsa_

Anna smiled as she read the letter. She was so proud and happy for Elsa. 

“What’s she say?” Kristoff asked.

“She pretty much said that things went well. Here,” Anna said as she gave Kristoff the note to read. “Isn’t that amazing!”

“That’s great! Knew she could do it” Kristoff exclaimed as he read through it. 

“Of course she can!” Olaf said as he entered the room. “What were we talking about?”

“We were talking about Elsa and how she’s starting to adjust at her new home.” Anna explained. “She recently went out with a friend.”

“A friend!” Olaf smiled. “That’s so good!”

“It sure is,” Anna nodded. “What should I say back?”

“Tell her I said ‘hi’!” Kirstoff said.

“Could I write her a letter too?” Olaf asked. 

“Of course, Olaf,” Anna said. “This could also be great practice for writing!”

“You’re right!” Olaf jumped up. 

“We’ll help you,” Anna said. 

“Me too?” Kristoff said. “I mean, I don’t have an issue with that, but I’d say you’re the better teacher.”

“That’s true,” Anna joked. “But you need practice teaching these things for when we have a child.”

“A child?” Kristoff’s mouth was wide open.

“Not right now,” Anna laughed. “For later, when we do decide we are ready to have a child.”

“That would be nice,” Kristoff smiled gently. He thought of their future child. Would the baby be a boy or a girl? Would they resemble Anna or Kristoff more? Maybe a mixture of both. Kristoff’s mind was full of all the possible opportunities. 

“I’m a child,” Olaf blurted interrupting. “Am I nice?”

“Of course, Olaf,” Anna laughed. “Now let’s get started on those letters shall we.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a bunch of happiness from both Honeymaren and Elsa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sad that Frozen 2 did not get nominated for best animated film for the Oscars... but honestly so many people/movies got snubbed when they shouldn't have been! Honestly... over it haha!
> 
> This is a little slower chapter (and shorter), but I wanted to write a little bit where Honeymaren and Ryder talk and Elsa is happy. It makes me happy to see Elsa happy.
> 
> We are almost to 200 kudos and that is absolutely amazing! I was not even expecting 100 kudos so it makes me happy to see that people are enjoying this fic! It motivates me!
> 
> If you enjoyed this chapter then please leave a comment or kudo! But honestly, thank you for reading this fic and I hope you continue to do so as there is so much more to come!

Honeymaren walked back into her tent and laid her head down on her pillow. The smile on her face never fading. She placed her hands on her pinkish face and kicked her legs playfully. She was beyond happy--she was ecstatic. 

“Honeymaren!” Ryder shouted as he barged into her tent. 

Ryder stopped and looked at his sister as she was awkwardly sitting up, face slightly flushed. 

“Are… you ok?” Ryder asked. 

“Yeah!” Honeymaren said without hesitation. “What are you doing here?”

“You promised to tell me all about your date,” Ryder said as he sat in front of Honeymaren. 

“First of all, it was not a date,” Honeymaren corrected. “And secondly, knock next time.”

“Why?” Ryder said. “Were you being all giddy and embarrassing?”

“No!” Honeymaren said a little too loud. “I was shocked to hear you yell after relaxing.” 

“Sure,” Ryder raised an eyebrow. “Anyways! I want to know all the details.”

“You’re worse than the other girls.” Honeymaren rolled her eyes.

“And that is not a bad thing.” Ryder said as he made himself comfortable. “Also I want to know what happens to my sister.”

“Elsa named the baby reindeer.” Honeymaren said. “She named him Willamar. Willy for short. It’s really cute. She really liked him.”

“Was the name cute or was Elsa cute?” Ryder pried. 

“What do you want me to say?” Honeymaren slightly blushed. 

“I want to hear the truth.” Ryder said. 

“Both ok,” Honeymaren quickly said. “It was really cute watching Willy and Elsa interact. Though maybe Elsa was cuter than any small animal I’ve seen.”

Honeymaren muttered the last part, but none went past Ryder’s ears and his eyes glittered. 

“Tell me more,” Ryder said. “I want to know everything.”

“Nothing else really happened.” Honeymaren’s face was heating up. “We talked, and I think she’s slowly getting more comfortable. There is still room for improvement, but I think she can overcome those tribulations.”

“Did you guys hold hands or anything?” Ryder asked.

“No,” Honeymaren said. “It was just a friendly hangout. Plus, like I said before, I’m fine with just being her friend. She already has a lot going on, so adding this to her conscience wouldn’t bode well. I don’t even know if she’s completely comfortable with touching, so I’m trying to hold back a little.” 

“Sometimes you’re too nice for your own good.” Ryder said. “But I understand, and I support you completely.” 

“Thanks,” Honeymaren said. 

A gust of wind blew into her tent and played with the sibling’s hairs. The sound of a child-like laugh filled the space around them and then a carefully folded airplane was placed into Honeymaren’s lap. 

“Who is it from?” Ryder asked.

Honeymaren examined the note and read the name that was written on the wing. 

“Elsa?” Honeymaren said with a little confusion.

“Open it!” Ryder said excitedly. 

Honeymaren opened the note and began to read it out loud, for she knew Ryder wouldn’t sit still unless she did.

“‘Dear Honeymaren,” Honeymaren started. “Thank you so much for today, it made me really happy. It was fun chatting casually with you after so long. I do hope we can do that again, and I hope we can become friends… if you want to though. Anyways, thank you again, and I hope you have a great day.”

Honeymaren’s face began to burn and a smile creeped onto her face. Elsa was just too adorable. 

“Sister, your gay is showing,” Ryder teased.

“Shut up!” Honeymaren laughed.

“It’s so cute that she wrote you a note.” Ryder said. 

“She’s such a dork,” Honeymaren chuckled. “And I love that.”

Ryder smirked. 

“I thought you said you only wanted to be friends with her.” Ryder said.

“I did,” Honeymaren said defensively. “But there is no problem in me liking her still.”

Honeymaren looked down at the note and sighed.

“It does pain me a little that she does not think that we are already friends… that girl has no confidence in making friends. She doesn’t need to ask to be friends.” Honeymaren said.

“Maybe send her a note back telling her that.” Ryder suggested. “She’d probably appreciate a response.”

“You’re right,” Honeymaren said. “What should I say?”

“I’m in gay for you,” Ryder joked.

“Calm down Shakespeare.” Honeymaren responded.

“What’s that?” Ryder asked. 

“I’m not entirely sure,” Honeymaren admitted. “But Anna told me he was a playwright… If I remember correctly, that is someone who writes something called plays, which I’m not exactly sure if I grasp that concept yet.”

“I could probably guess from the name,” Ryder said. 

“I guess, but would you have guessed if I didn’t say?” Honeymaren raised an eyebrow.

“Probably not,” Ryder laughed. 

“I thought so,” Honeymaren shook her head as she smiled.

Elsa couldn’t wipe the smile that was stupidly plastered on her face. Did she have a right to be this happy? Do people usually get this happy after hanging out with someone? 

Elsa was a little scared that Honeymaren didn’t feel the same way… what if the letter she sent was too much?

No, Elsa had to be assertive for once! It was slightly anxiety inducing… but she felt relieved. Like she could do anything at this moment. She was unstoppable. 

Gale chirped and burst into her tent. Elsa noticed that there was not only one letter, but three. They fluttered into her hands and Elsa thanked Gale for its hard work. Gale happily twirled in the air before exiting and playing childish pranks on the children outside. 

Elsa looked at the notes and was happy to see that they were from Anna, Olaf, and even Honeymaren. She decided to start with Anna, as Honeymaren’s note was a little stressful to start with. 

_Dear Elsa,_

_That’s literally so amazing! We are all so proud of you! Even Sven! Honeymaren is an awesome person and I’m so happy that you and her are becoming friends! Soon, you’ll be friends with everyone! Let’s not think about that now though, for the future that is the goal and we will all support you in the back!_

_I’m happy that she helped you through it and I’m so proud that you kept going despite having an attack! That definitely shows that you are improving! Go you!_

_And of course you aren’t burdening her! If you were then she couldn’t go to those far lengths to help you! She obviously cares for you and does not find and part of you a nuisance. Have some self confidence!_

_Nothing much really happening here at the castle. Just boring boredness. I’ve been catching up with everything, so we gotta schedule a family game night soon!_

_Kristoff says hi!_

_I hope to hear from you soon!_

_Anna_

Elsa smiled. That made her feel a lot better and more confident to open up Honeymaren’s letter. 

“Sorry Olaf, but you’re going to have to wait.” Elsa said as she put Olaf’s note in her lap. 

If she didn’t open Honeymaren’s note now, she might never in fear of what Honeymaren’s reply would be. 

_Dear Elsa,_

_Today was one of the best days I’ve had in awhile! It was incredibly fun to talk to you and so interesting to learn even more about you. I really hope that can do something like this again. I want to keep learning about you and I want to continue growing closer to you! You don’t need to ask to be friends because we already are! I hope our friendship will continue to grow from here on out!_

_Please don’t be scared to tell me whenever you are free or whenever you want to do something!_

_Sincerely, Honeymaren_

The tension that was built up inside Elsa quickly dispersed and was replaced by a warm feeling. She read the note over and over again, the feeling growing more and more. It was a mixture of happiness, relief, and hope. Elsa loved it. 

Maybe, she could be normal. Maybe, she could finally get over her anxieties and finally not think about anything of the sort. Though that may be far in the future, it was still there and Elsa was going to work hard for it.

She picked up Olaf’s note and opened it in anticipation. Elsa couldn’t wait to see how much he had improved. 

_Der Elsa,_

_Hi im Olaf! Did i spel dat rite ?_

_Anna and kristof are tryng to help me but i beleve in improveing wit out reling on them! I have so much to lern stil but at least i can rite a litle._

_The casle is pretty gud and evry one is grate! We miss yu and so dose sven!_

_We need to play cherades soon!_

_Olaf_

Elsa let out a little chuckle as she read Olaf’s note. There was still so much for him to learn and improve, but she was very proud to see him come this far. 

_I wonder if that’s what Anna feels like whenever I send her these letters?_

Though Elsa was the eldest, sometimes Anna seemed more of the mature type when it came to stuff like this. That’s what sisters are for--supporting each other and being proud of each other when things happen. 

Elsa put the three notes in a neat pile with the other notes from her family. She looked at Honeymaren’s note one last time and laid her head down on her pillow. Her heart was content from reading from the three of them. She closed her eyes and dreamed of her family and herself living in a world without anxieties. Though for now it was a dream, she would continue to wish for it to come true one day.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elsa tries to socialize

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I hope everything is well! 
> 
> I can’t wait for the Frozen 2 blu-ray to come out! Can’t wait to watch deleted scenes and behind the scene stuff! 
> 
> Leave a comment if you enjoyed! It really makes me happy to see that you guys are enjoying this fic!
> 
> Also thanks so much for 200+ kudos!!

Elsa wandered around the Northuldra settlement. The sun kissed her pale skin and the wind smelled fresh and floral. 

“Hello, Elsa,” Yelena greeted. “What plans do you have for this beautiful day?”

“Hello,” Elsa smiled. “I’m just going out for a walk. Maybe I’ll try chatting with the others.” 

“That sounds great,” Yelena replied. “If you need anything, please tell me. You are an important figure in our tribe so we wouldn't want you feeling dissatisfied.”

“Thank you,” Elsa said as she laughed nervously. “But please, you don’t have to give me special treatment,”

“You did save us all,” Yelena said. “It’s the least I can do.”

“You’ve already done enough,” Elsa said sheepishly. “I’d very much appreciate it if you, and everyone else, treated me as an equal.”

“You’re too kind,” Yelena said. 

“I should be saying that to all of you,” Elsa smiled.

_It’s not that I’m kind… It’s just incredibly awkward._

"Unfortunately, I am quite busy today so I'll be taking my leave," Yelena bowed her head. "Enjoy your day."

Yelena turned and walked away, but it was towards the direction Elsa intended to go. Elsa waited before she turned on her heels and walked in a different direction to avoid walking next to Yelena after saying their goodbyes... she wouldn’t be able to handle such an awkward situation. 

It was a beautiful day and Elsa saw children laughing and playing. The tribe women talked amongst each other while cautiously watching the children so they wouldn't get hurt. She continued to walk and then caught sight of Honeymaren. Elsa stopped in her tracks and hid behind a tree. 

_Why am I hiding?_

_Did she see me?_

_If she did… then did I hurt her feelings?_

Elsa wanted to punch herself for hiding. She peeked out and was relieved to see that Honeymaren hadn’t noticed. Honeymaren was too busy helping Willy with standing up to notice the quiet observer. 

Elsa’s heartbeat began to pick up and she could feel her body temperature rise despite the temperature around her hands dropping. 

_Calm down._

Elsa told herself to take deep breaths. It wasn’t helping her anxiety by hiding and waiting to see when Honeymaren would notice her. Honeymaren seemed really busy so Elsa shouldn’t disturb her.

_Why did I hide?_

Elsa couldn’t fathom why her body reacted the way it did even though Honeymaren provided her the most comfort out of everyone here. She even confirmed that they were friends. Maybe Elsa was just on edge today… she usually was.

Elsa turned and quietly walked away, hoping to slip away without notice. Her plan failed as Honeymaren looked up and noticed the blonde woman. Honeymaren couldn't help but smile at her presence. 

“Hey, Elsa!” Honeymaren called.

Elsa froze. She was spotted. 

Elsa turned around and let out a pathetic smile. Honeymaren didn’t make anything of it, which Elsa silently appreciated. 

“Hello, Honeymaren.” Elsa said. “How are you?”

“I’m doing great!” Honeymaren said. “Helping little Willy with getting his steps. He’s working very hard!”

“Wow,” Elsa’s eyes widened. “He really improved a lot since yesterday!”

“He did! Now we hope he continues to improve. He has a tendency to take a couple of steps back.” Honeymaren paused. “Thinking about it, that saying is ironic given his situation.”

Elsa let out a laugh. Honeymaren’s humor helped Elsa let loose a little bit. 

“Of course, I have full faith that even with his setbacks, he will achieve his goal to walk!” Honeymaren said as she pet the baby reindeer. 

Honeymaren had noticed this whole time that Elsa’s eyes were glued on everything but her. It was a little disheartening to Honeymaren to see that Elsa was still nervous to look at her directly, but at least their talks have been getting livelier. Any improvement is a good improvement and Honeymaren was going to take anything. 

“When are you free Elsa?” Honeymaren asked. “I really want to show you another one of my favorite spots. I think you’ll really like it!”

“Well, I think I’m free at any time,” Elsa said. “So don’t be afraid to call me… with a note?”

_Call on a note… is that even correct?_

“Why the questioning tone?” Honeymaren asked. "Do you not want me to call?"

"No!" Elsa shook her head. "I would love for you to call, or whatever you prefer." 

Elsa tried to explain herself, but soon her words just became jumbled and her thoughts rammed into each other. Elsa gave up and she began to pout and her head slumped in defeat.

Honeymaren smiled and let out a giggle. Elsa's ears slightly burned up. Was that a friendly laugh or a judgemental laugh?

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude by laughing,” Honeymaren replied and Elsa perked up slightly. “I just thought of how adorable you were just now.”

“Adorable?” Elsa was taken aback. 

Elsa put a hand on the back of her neck. She tried to cool her head by using her hand as a cooling pack, but she kept burning up… she was convinced that it was from her anxiety. 

“I don’t mean to patronize, please don’t misunderstand. It’s just you’re so soft-spoken, it reminded me of a gentle little animal or something. You know, when a dog does something bad and they feel bad for it.” Honeymaren began to stammer and stumble over her words. “That’s not a bad thing, don’t get me wrong. I don't mean to say that you did something wrong it was just a comparison. You did nothing wrong, don't worry. What I mean is that I find you cute. Sorry, I mean it’s cute.”

Elsa looked at Honeymaren… well not directly, she relatively looked around Honeymaren’s nose. The bubble of tension inside Elsa popped and died down in a pleasant manner as laughter overtook her. Though not the best of thoughts, seeing Honeymaren struggle with her communication comforted Elsa. It comforted Elsa to think that even a sociable person like Honeymaren had her slip-ups. Maybe Elsa wasn’t so bad then. 

“Sorry, I don’t mean to be rude either,” Elsa replied. 

Honeymaren nervously laughed. Her face red was red, but not because of the same reason as Elsa. 

“Well since you are here, I don’t think a note will be necessary,” Honeymaren said. “Do you want to hang out tomorrow? Or maybe the day after?” 

“The day after might work better,” Elsa said. 

_Too many back-to-back social events take a toll on me._

“Sounds great!” Honeymaren said. “I’ll see you then!”

Elsa nodded. She turned and walked away. Talking to Honeymaren gave her a little more confidence to talk to others. The only question was who was she going to talk to?

“Hey, Elsa!” A man’s voice called. 

Elsa immediately recognized the voice. 

“Hello, Ryder,” Elsa smiled. He had such convenient timing. “How’s… your day?”

“Well, not too much has happened since it’s not even noon yet,” Ryder replied. “But it has been very relaxing. I didn’t have much to do today. I fed the reindeer breakfast, then cut some of their hair because the sun is starting to get hotter, and now I’m here. How was yours?”

“Nothing much, just walking around.” Elsa said. “I talked to your sister.”

“She wasn’t annoying you was she?” Ryder joked. “I know when I talk to her, it’s a constant battle of who can get under the other’s skin first.”

“No,” Elsa frantically shook her head. “She’s incredibly kind and amazing!”

“It’s great that you think so,” Ryder gave her a toothy smile. “I’ll leave it to you to treat her well.”

“Of course,” Elsa nodded. 

“I hate to cut our conversation short,” Ryder said. “But I got to go help over by the river. Time for hunting and fishing… I’d rather tend to the reindeer.”

“You got this,” Elsa reassured.

“Thanks,” Ryder smiled. “I’ll see you around.”

Ryder waved as he walked away. Elsa shyly waved back. Once he was out of sight, Elsa put her hand down. She looked around. What was there to do? She had never really tried to be social and she usually would play with the spirits or travel to Atohallan. 

Elsa continued her stroll and took a deep breath in. It was a beautiful day, so Elsa should not waste it by spending it hiding in her tent.

Elsa heard someone laugh. She looked up and caught the eye of one of the girls and suddenly her resolve was overwhelmed by the weight of her detrimental thoughts.

_They are laughing at you._

_They think that you are pathetic._

_You are nothing more than a joke._

Elsa’s hands wrapped around herself and she began walking towards the woods.

If she went back to her tent, would they judge her? What were they saying?

_“I wasn’t laughing at you,”_

Honeymaren’s voice rang out in her head. The memory of Honeymaren comforting Elsa began to lift the weight of her pessimism.

_They weren't laughing at me._

Elsa hoped to drown out her other thoughts. She continuously repeated it until it was the only thing she was thinking of. She convinced herself that it was only her mind messing with her and that she was everything but a joke. 

She let out a deep breath and she hadn’t noticed but her hands were no longer wrapped around her. 

Elsa had participated in three conversations--all of which she had completed and didn’t run away from prematurely. Elsa smiled. Her previous anxiety was merely a minuscule inconvenience. 

Elsa was starting to realize her improvements and that made her feel powerful.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Honeymaren and Elsa go on their second "date".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longer chapter! Yay!
> 
> Sadly, Into the Unknown did not win the Oscars, but seeing 9 Elsas perform yesterday was a win for me! 
> 
> I really think this chapter is cute and fun so I hope you guys enjoy it!
> 
> If you enjoyed then leave a comment! Leave a kudo! Or both!

Honeymaren opened her eyes and the blue sky was spread out in front of her. Was the sky always this beautiful? The wind tousled her hair and disturbed her clothes. The sound of leaves and animals added to the serenity she felt with her senses. 

Honeymaren extended her hand out to the sky, wanting to reach those impossible heights. She knew that it was ridiculous, but she couldn’t help but dream. 

Honeymaren blinked and then she felt something warm against her hand. A shadow hovered over her and it took her a couple more seconds to realize it was Elsa. Elsa was smiling at her. Their eyes met and Honeymaren looked deep into her blue eyes. Elsa’s eyes were the color of the large sky above them. 

Honeymaren wanted to say something but the words wouldn’t come out. Elsa let out a crystalline laugh. It was like music to Honeymaren’s ears. Honeymaren smiled back and let out a pathetic laugh. 

Honeymaren ran her thumb over Elsa’s soft cheek and Elsa placed her hand over Honeymaren’s. They were surprisingly warm but it was a reminder that Elsa, in fact, was human despite her magnificent powers. 

Elsa leaned in, her lips getting closer to Honeymaren’s. None of this seemed real, it seemed like a dream.

_If this were a dream, I never want it to end._

“Honeymaren!” 

Honeymaren was startled awake by the voice of her brother. She sat up and she looked around. Alas, she was sitting in her tent and not out with the ice maiden. 

“You overslept,” Ryder said. “Aren’t you going to hang out with Elsa today? If you don’t hurry and finish your work then you’ll never be able to go.”

Honeymaren wanted to punch Ryder for interrupting her dream, but he did have a point. 

Honeymaren started to change her clothes and frantically went through her morning routine. She looked down at her hand and her face burned up. She covered her face and let out a long groan. How could she dream of that? She just wanted to be friends, nothing more. Honeymaren tried to convince herself that that was all she wanted… that was all Elsa wanted. 

_If only it weren’t a dream._

Honeymaren shook her head. She couldn’t think like that. Honeymaren was content on being Elsa’s friend and is happy being someone Elsa could rely on. Honeymaren cringed at herself and sighed. How could she face Elsa after a dream like that?

Honeymaren slapped her cheeks. 

_Just act normal. You are her friend and it’s not like you are trying to get close to her because you like her, so what is the problem? You’re her friend and nothing will change that._

Honeymaren’s morning was a blur. Her focus was not completely on task and she occasionally found herself thinking about Elsa. She couldn’t help but remember her dream and how close Elsa’s lips were to hers. 

Honeymaren unconsciously touched her lips. 

Would Elsa’s lips be soft?

Honeymaren flushed and aggressively shook her head to dissolve these thoughts. 

“Are you ok?” A girl tending to the other reindeer turned and gave Honeymaren a concerned look.

“Yes,” Honeymaren nearly squeaked. “Just a bug flying around.”

“Those little creatures are quite annoying,” The girl agreed before she continued grooming one of the reindeer. 

Honeymaren continued her errands and came back to the stables to help Willy with his daily exercises. Willy made great progress, and soon it was time for him to rest. 

“Good job,” Honeymaren said as she carried him back to his stable. She placed him down and gave him a kiss. 

Honeymaren started to clean the area before she would head out to meet Elsa. 

“Hello?” A soft, familiar voice called out. 

Honeymaren turned and confirmed that it was indeed Elsa, and suddenly all of Honeymaren’s exhilaration came back. 

“Elsa, what are you doing here?” Honeymaren said. “I was just about to come and get you.”

“Well, I ran into Ryder and he told me that you usually finished around this time,” Elsa said. “I was too excited to just wait, so I decided to just come and see you first.”

Elsa shifted on her feet and looked down at the ground. Honeymaren didn’t recognize it exactly as anxiousness, but rather slight bashfulness. 

Honeymaren could feel a stupid grin grow on her face and she could feel heat reach her cheeks. It took every fiber in her body to stop herself from letting out an audible “aw” or something. It was hard to describe what she was feeling.

_Who ever gave birth to such an adorable human being… Thank you._

“You came just in time,” Honeymaren said. “I can’t wait for you to see this place.” 

“I can’t wait,” Elsa smiled. 

“Who would you like to take this time?” Honeymaren said as she prompted towards the reindeer.

“I would love to take Kore again,” Elsa said. 

“You really like her,” Honeymaren observed. 

“She’s really sweet and gentle,” Elsa said as she walked over to Kore. “Plus, she’s so pretty.”

“Can’t deny that,” Honeymaren shrugged. 

She took them out of their stalls and walked down outside. The two of them mounted on the reindeer's’ backs and they started their short journey. 

“It’s a little far,” Honeymaren said. “But that makes it more fun.”

Elsa nodded. She wondered what this new place would be like. Would it be a field like last time? Would it be filled with tall trees? Or maybe something even more. 

“I’m so glad that you aren’t tired of me yet,” Honeymaren laughed. 

“Why would I be!” Elsa exclaimed. “You’ve done nothing but showed hospitality and kindness. I thank you for that.”

“Thanks,” Honeymaren said. “Gotta try my best for my friend.”

Elsa smiled at the comment. 

“Thanks,” Elsa said after a second of silence. “For everything.”

Elsa was too good to be human. Her statement was full of purity and innocence that Honeymaren felt that it was a sin to even be in her presence… though that was ridiculous. 

Honeymaren shoved her face into the neck of her reindeer. She was so flushed, it was embarrassing. 

“Are you ok?” Elsa was scared that she said something weird. 

“Yeah,” Honeymaren said as she covered her face with one hand. “You caught me off guard.”

“Sorry,” Elsa apologized. 

“No, don’t be,” Honeymaren waved her hands frantically. “I should be the one thanking you.”

Elsa shook her head. 

“For what?”

“For always agreeing to come with me,” Honeymaren said. 

“I enjoy being with you,” Elsa said.

Honeymaren smiled.

“Me too,” Honeymaren said. “I mean, I also enjoy being with you. I don’t mean that I enjoy being with me.”

_Smooth._

Honeymaren decided to stop talking. She lost all her composure around Elsa, and her dream from last night did not help with keeping her cool. 

“Thank you,” Elsa laughed. Her laugh calmed Honeymaren’s nerves.

Honeymaren began to slow down before stopping at the base of a mountain. Elsa followed and waited next to Honeymaren. 

“This is where we get off,” Honeymaren said as she dropped down from the reindeer. 

Elsa looked around. It seemed a lot less scenic than the last place. There wasn’t anything that particularly stood out.

“Don’t worry, this isn’t the place,” Honeymaren said. “We still have a little more to go.”

“Then why are we getting off?” Elsa asked as she jumped down from Kore. 

“Some things are better as surprises,” Honeymaren said. “The place is up there, on top of this small mountain.”

Elsa looked up. She couldn’t see anything behind it.

“Now, close your eyes and take my hand,” Honeymaren said as she extended her hand towards Elsa. “Though I do respect you if you do not want to. I could always lead you while you ride Kore, but I thought some walking would be nice.”

Elsa looked at Honeymaren’s hand. The memory of when Elsa and Honeymaren first went on a walk came into mind. She remembered the feel of Honeymaren’s warmth against her cold hands and were both longing and scared to experience that again. 

Honeymaren was kindly offering her a gentle hand. Honeymaren would never hurt Elsa, and Elsa would never hurt her. Her heart beat harder and faster and her hands began to freeze the water molecules in the air around her palms. 

“Do you trust me?” Honeymaren asked. 

Elsa looked at her hand and realized that she had clenched her hands into tight fists. She relaxed them and reminded herself to stay calm. As long as she was calm, she wouldn’t hurt Honeymaren. 

“Of course I do,” Elsa said.

She slowly grabbed Honeymaren’s hand, which was warm to the touch. Honeymaren noticed that although Elsa’s hands were cold, they weren’t as cold as the first time Honeymaren took her hand. Elsa closed her eyes and let Honeymaren lead them up the hill. 

The sound of crushing soft grass under their feet was calming. 

Elsa really had nothing to be scared of. Honeymaren wasn’t going to shove her off a cliff or anything… right? She trusted Honeymaren, but the thought of going into something unexpected was exciting but quite scary. 

The last time Elsa dove into something unknown it had resulted in her new life which she had loved, so there was absolutely nothing to be afraid of because she had already done the most extreme of delving into the unknown. 

_But I also kind of died._

Hopefully… Honeymaren wasn’t sending Elsa to her death. 

“You’re gonna love this place.” Honeymaren tried to make a conversation. 

“If you love it, then I will,” Elsa replied quite shakily. 

“You’re right,” Honeymaren said matter-of-factly. “I’ve got some great taste.”

Elsa laughed. 

“Make sure you don’t peek,” Honeymaren said. 

“I would never,” Elsa nervously replied.

They continued to walk more as they continued their small talk. It was quite a long walk, so it was a shame that Elsa could not sightsee while she walked. Honeymaren promised that it would be worth it and that on the way down Elsa could enjoy the hike. 

Honeymaren came to a stop and Elsa no longer felt an incline beneath her feet. 

“Alright, now you can open them,” Honeymaren said.

Elsa opened her eyes and was pleasantly surprised that she was indeed not in a life-or-death situation, but instead, she was met with a view more beautiful than any painting back at the castle. 

The sun was hiding behind a snowy mountain and its light emphasized the shape of the mountain, alongside many others. The sky was filled with fluffy clouds which were dyed a pale mix of purple pink and blue, it seemed unreal and far more beautiful than any color Elsa had ever seen. The colorful trees on the ground were a wonderful reminder that it was fall. Elsa was absolutely speechless. Something inside her urged her to say something as she could no longer keep her excitement in.

“Honeymaren, this is absolutely-” 

Elsa delightedly turned to look at Honeymaren. 

_Brown… no, honey-gold._

“Beautiful…” Elsa said quietly. 

They stared at each other for a couple of seconds longer, but it seemed like an eternity. Elsa hadn’t realized that Honeymaren was so much shorter than her due to all the time she spent looking at the floor. 

Honeymaren’s face turned red, and she opened her mouth to say something. Was Elsa talking about her?

Elsa turned away, her ears burned and her heart pounded. Was she having an attack? Now was not the time… everything was mostly going smoothly and Elsa hoped that she wouldn’t ruin it by having a breakdown. 

“Yes,” Honeymaren tried to keep it cool despite feeling like she was going to pass out. “The scenery is beautiful.” 

“It is,” Elsa’s voice slightly cracked. 

The mood was really awkward and the silence between them continued for a couple of seconds more. The silence was Elsa’s salvation, as it gave her an excuse to not talk and embarrass herself even more. What did Honeymaren think? 

Elsa hadn’t really called Honeymaren beautiful to her face… did she? Sure, Honeymaren was gorgeous from the parts Elsa actually looked at, and now she confirmed that her eyes were just as aesthetic as the rest of her face. What was this feeling?

_I’m about to have an attack._

Elsa took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. She repeated this breathing cycle but was distressed when she didn’t feel any relief. If she had an attack in front of Honeymaren then she would never be able to face her again. Her heart was pounding, her face burned, and her hands felt cold… but that was it. No shaking, no blurry vision, no difficulty breathing, and no tears. 

_This is strange…_

What was this feeling? It felt like an attack, but it didn’t at the same time. 

Honeymaren broke the silence, which made Elsa jump a little bit. 

“This place is most beautiful around this time of year,” Honeymaren said. “So I’m thankful that we could experience it together this soon. It would’ve been a shame if we missed it, or didn’t become friends until after autumn. Then I would’ve had to wait a whole year to show you this place. The timing of our friendship was perfect, though I would’ve liked to have become close a lot earlier, though there is no problem with becoming friends now. Better late than never.”

Honeymaren was scared when Elsa didn’t reply right away. Was Elsa ok?

“It’s absolutely breathtaking,” Elsa said after she calmed down. “How do you find these places?”

“Well, funny story actually,” Honeymaren started. “Want to hear about it?”

Elsa lit up and she eagerly looked at Honeymaren. 

“Yes, please.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Storytime from Honeymaren.  
> Elsa starts to feel something strange, but she doesn't know what she is feeling. 
> 
> Anxiety... that must be it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while since I last updated!
> 
> Sorry, school has been terrible!!!
> 
> Good news! The Frozen 2 Blu-ray and stuff are out! I have yet to get it though!
> 
> I'll try to not have such a long gap in updates! Also sorry if the story is dragging, but I promise it'll pick up maybe soon........... yes soon haha!
> 
> As always if you enjoyed then please leave a comment and/or kudo!
> 
> Have a great day and enjoy!

“Several years ago I was given the duty to watch over the reindeer, along with my brother.” Honeymaren started. “We were ecstatic as we both absolutely loved reindeer! We first had to learn how to ride the reindeer, so my uncle took us out to the stables and paired us up with a reindeer. I was paired up with that feisty little follow.” 

Honeymaren pointed down the mountain, and although Elsa couldn’t really make out everything on the ground, she assumed that she was pointing to the male reindeer next to Kore.

“What’s his name?” Elsa asked. 

“I never told you?” Honeymaren replied a little surprised. 

“You only told me Kore’s name.” Elsa clarified. 

“Sorry, his introduction must’ve slipped my mind!” Honeymaren replied. “His name is Felix.”

“Cute name,” Elsa smiled.

“Cute name for a not-so-cute reindeer!” Honeymaren groaned. “He is such a troublemaker. Now, where was I?”

“You had to learn how to ride reindeer,” Elsa said.

“Oh yeah!” Honeymaren said. “So we went out in the fields and then practiced going and stopping. All that beginner stuff. It was all going good until an earth giant made a huge crash in the distance and Felix got scared and started running off. I tried all I could to make him stop with the literal 10 minutes of training I had, but obviously that didn’t work. Instead I just kinda hoped he would stop while watching the trees blur past me.”

“That sounds terrifying!” Elsa gasped. 

“It was, but it was strangely exhilarating. Soon Felix ran up this mountain and I was scared that he was going to jump off the ledge as he didn’t seem like he was slowing down. I closed my eyes and jumped off of him.” Honeymaren said. “I braced myself for impact and remembered how to fall, so thankfully I only broke my elbow, but I was sore and bruised like crazy.”

“Only?” Elsa’s eyes were wide. “That sounds painful!”

“I had a lot of adrenaline going through me, so I really didn’t feel it,” Honeymaren assured. She didn’t want to say that the pain came after she returned home because Elsa already seemed to be pretty concerned. “Felix came to an abrupt stop and I was thankful that I wasn’t on him because if I was, then I would’ve been flung off the cliff. I walked over to Felix to calm him down, and that’s when I saw this.”  
Honeymaren gestured to the area around them.

“Although he is a pain in my butt, I got to thank his crazy self for finding this place.” Honeymaren laughed. “If he didn’t, then we wouldn’t be here together.”

Elsa’s face felt hot, but it didn’t feel like an “I’m going to have a mental breakdown” kind of hot. More like… a blush? Was she blushing? Elsa assumed that this feeling was anxiety, but it wasn’t unpleasant like usual. It was different… it was something she had never felt before.

Elsa didn’t know what to say. Sentences would not formulate and she was having a hard time grasping her voice. 

“Nice weather we’re having.” Elsa’s voice slightly cracked. Her ears grew hotter and she felt incredibly dizzy. 

_Nice job, doofus._

“It’s perfect,” Honeymaren said. She was a little sad that her subtle flirting was shot down, but she was enjoying watching Elsa’s cheeks flush. Honeymaren smiled. It was absolutely adorable. “Since I told you a story, why don’t you tell me one?”

“What kind of story?” Elsa asked. “My life wasn’t really eventful until three years ago.”

“I think I remember Olaf telling us about you and Anna’s past,” Honeymaren asked. “Though, if you are comfortable, I’d like to hear your side of the story.”

“If you remember from his storytelling, I hurt Anna when we were children,” Elsa said. 

“I do recall that part.” Honeymaren acknowledged.

“After that, I was scared of my powers,” Elsa said. “I hated the thought that I was born with such cursed powers. I locked myself in my room and distanced myself from everyone. My parents tried to help, but soon I was scared that I would hurt them. I distanced myself from them, but I was relying on the comfort that at least my parents knew who I really was… as Anna’s memories were wiped.”

Honeymaren watched Elsa intently, not wanting to speak for Elsa’s voice was so quiet and delicate.

“When my parents died in the accident, my whole world collapsed. The only sense of comfort I had crumbled away and I was felt with no one out there to help me. I was overwhelmed by all these negative emotions, but I had to keep them in because I couldn’t talk to my sister… even if I wanted to so dearly.” Elsa said. “I had to hide for many years to come. Of course, Anna was there for me and soon I didn’t have to hide anymore and everyone back in Arendelle accepted me with open arms as their queen… but in the last three years I couldn’t completely shake off the feeling that I didn’t belong. That my powers still were some sort of curse.”

“Then you heard the voice,” Honeymaren said quietly. 

“I heard the voice.” Elsa nodded. “I came here, and when I went to Atohallan I felt at peace. I felt like I belonged and I found exactly what I was looking for. I found answers and I found comfort in my powers. I finally accepted myself and my powers and I felt powerful.”

“Because of your powers?” Honeymaren asked. 

“No,” Elsa shook her head. “Because I finally saw myself as myself. I finally was able to find myself and accept who I really was. I wasn’t some sort of cursed child, but a gift.”

Elsa looked down. 

“But even after all that, I’m still struggling…” 

“Hey,” Honeymaren put a hand over Elsa’s and squeezed it when Elsa didn’t pull away. “Your story is incredibly empowering and absolutely beautiful. I’m so happy that you could share your feelings with me, and I’m so very proud of how far you’ve come. You are so strong.”

Elsa looked at Honeymaren. Their eyes met and Elsa didn’t look away. The look in Honeymaren’s eyes was so sincere and so kind. 

“It’s alright if you are still struggling,” Honeymaren assured. “Overcoming those problems will come with time and patience. I believe that you can push through those issues because you’ve done it before. You’ve already done so much to improve and that’s amazing! Don’t beat yourself up because you got this.”

Elsa’s tensed shoulders relaxed and she smiled. 

“Thank you,” Elsa said. “That means so much to me.”

“You mean that much to me,” Honeymaren winked. 

She then laughed. “Wait, that didn’t make sense. You get what I was trying to say.”

Elsa’s face burned and little snow clouds formed around her. Snow covered the top of Elsa’s hair, but her face still burned. 

“You doing ok?” Honeymaren asked. She brushed the snowflakes off Elsa’s head and tried to get rid of the snow clouds, but her efforts were fruitless. 

“Yeah,” Elsa said as frantically waved the clouds off. “Is it getting hot?” 

“The sun is mostly gone,” Honeymaren looked out into the horizon. “So it’s actually pretty chilly.” 

“Is that so…” Elsa said. Her face grew even hotter in embarrassment.

“It is getting late,” Honeymaren said as she stood up. “We should head back, or else the reindeer might get lost.”

Honeymaren put her hand out to help Elsa up. Elsa took it and tried her best to not freeze the girl’s hand off--her powers were spazzing out. Honeymaren noticed that Elsa’s hands were cold. The taller girl’s face had grown red towards the end of their talk so maybe Honeymaren teased her a little too much. Honeymaren needed to stop herself, but Elsa was just too cute… she just hoped that Elsa wouldn’t have a breakdown. Honeymaren noticed that Elsa had opened up a lot more than the last time they talked. That was progress. It was only a matter of time until she would open up to everyone. 

The ride back to the settlement was mostly silent, but Elsa’s mind was incredibly loud. Her mind was a mix of Honeymaren’s voice, thoughts of Honeymaren, and Elsa’s internal screams. She didn’t like this feeling… but she didn’t hate it. It was strangely nice.

They finally arrived back at the settlement. They brought the reindeer back to their stalls and Honeymaren pet them goodnight. 

“Today was really fun!” Honeymaren said. “I hope you had fun.”

“Of course!” Elsa said. “Thank you so much.”

“No problem!” Honeymaren mused. “I’ll see you soon! Get a good night’s rest!” 

“You too,” Elsa waved as she quickly walked back to her tent.

Elsa immediately plopped down onto her bed. She lifted her head when she heard a particular gurgling noise.

“Bruni,” Elsa said in relief. She took the salamander into her cool hands. “Bruni, I need your help.”

Bruni looked at her before it licked its eye. 

“What is this feeling?” Elsa said as she placed one of her hands onto her chest. “It’s weird, spontaneous, and new. I don’t know if I enjoy it or not.”

Bruni tilted it’s head and stuck its tongue out.

“I’ve come to conclude that it is not anxiety…” Elsa said. “Unless it’s a smaller scale anxiety attack?”

Bruni looked at Elsa like she was crazy.

“You’re right… if it was anxiety then I for sure would hate it.” Elsa said. “Is this how someone feels when they make a friend?”

Bruni plopped down on Elsa’s hand. Bruni was slowly losing interest in Elsa’s voice.

“I’ve never had a real friend before besides Kristoff… but that’s a given because he's my sister’s husband.” Elsa rambled. “Is this how it feels to make a friend by myself? Is it because I want to be her friend?”

Bruni looked at her again as if to say, “I’m literally a reptile, I would not know about human affairs.”

“You’re right…” Elsa said. “Sorry, it would be best to talk about this with someone who can at least speak back.” 

Bruni smiled and curled up into a ball. 

“Thanks for listening, Bruni,” Elsa smiled. Elsa laid down and made sure to not disturb Bruni’s position on her hand. “I’ll go talk to Anna tomorrow. She’ll probably have an answer.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sister talks are the best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy this chapter! 
> 
> I'm not a really good writer so I'm scared that I didn't write it as well as I hoped, but I like some parts so yay!
> 
> If you enjoyed then leave a kudo and/or comment!

Anna’s desk was cluttered with papers, books, and many broken quills. She put her head down with an audible groan as she finally finished signing her last document for the day. Anna closed her eyes to rest, but despite her exhaustion, she couldn’t drift into sleep.

Kristoff opened the door and walked over with a steaming mug of tea. 

“Finally done?” Kristoff said with a hint of a smile. 

Kristoff placed the mug in front of Anna and he leaned against the end of the desk. The sweet scent of herbs and faint fruit wrapped Anna’s mind in a cozy mental blanket and she slowly opened her eyes as her nerves calmed from the familiar scent.

“Chamomile,” Anna smiled as she lifted her head. “Thanks, honey. You always know how to cheer me up.”

“Of course,” Kristoff said. “It’s my duty as a husband to take care of my wonderful wife.”

“Aw,” Anna smiled. “I love you.” 

Anna took a sip of her tea and all her tension was washed away by the warm sensation that spread through her body. She let out a pleasant sigh.

“Wow,” Anna said as she relaxed her shoulders. “I really needed that.”

“Yes you did,” Kristoff said as he walked over towards Anna. “You also need a good nap.”

“What?” Anna snorted. “I’m not a child.”

Kristoff rolled his eyes and lifted Anna off her seat and effortlessly held her princess style. Anna opened her mouth in protest but Kristoff cut her off.

“Well, you are my baby.” Kristoff winked as he walked towards the open office door.

Anna shut her mouth at the comment and felt her face grow red. She hated how easily she turned red. Anna looked up at her husband and couldn’t help but smile. She was so lucky to have Kristoff. 

“Fine,” Anna finally said. “I guess I’ll listen to you.” 

“Now we are getting somewhere.” Kristoff laughed. 

Kristoff opened the door to their bedroom and placed Anna down on the bed before bringing over a nightgown.

“You really aren’t going to help me change right?” Anna laughed. Her laugh slowly disappeared when Kristoff smiled in response. “Right?” 

“Tonight I'll be here to make sure that I cater to your every action,” Kristoff said. 

“You don’t have any ulterior motives… Do you?” Anna teased as she raised an eyebrow. 

“Why would you think such things my naughty wife,” Kristoff replied with an even higher eyebrow raise. 

Anna punched Kristoff and laughed. Anna raised her arms as Kristoff slipped her clothes on and off. Kristoff gave her a small peck on the lips in between each action. 

“You’re so goofy,” Anna said as she rested her head on Kristoff’s chest as they laid down. 

“Hey,” Kristoff laughed. “I’m trying my hardest to be a good enough husband for the best.” 

“You are the best husband I could have wished for,” Anna said as she kissed Kristoff again.

Anna yawned and cuddled closer to Kristoff. The sound of his slightly racing heartbeat made Anna smile. His steady breathing and the feel of his chest rising and falling was very comforting and made her feel drowsy. All of her exhaustion fell onto her at that moment, but she felt at peace. Soon she drifted into sweet dreams.

There was a soft knock at the door. Anna rolled to the other side of the bed and groaned. 

“5 more minutes.” Anna huffed. 

“You have a visitor.” Kristoff’s voice was muffled behind the door, but it rang clear to Anna’s ears.

Anna bolted awake. 

“Oh my gosh!” Anna jumped out of her bed and rushed to find appealing clothes. She didn’t remember setting any appointments today… or did she?

“Anna?” A familiar voice called. 

Anna stopped moving and walked over to her door with her top on backward. She opened the door to confirm the owner of the voice. To Anna’s relief, it did belong to her sister.

“Oh thank god,” Anna said as she completely opened the door. “I was worried that I got it wrong and I just came out half naked to greet the great duke of whatever.”

“Well,” Elsa giggled. “Thank goodness I was me then.”

“What brings you here sister?” Anna said as she slipped her clothes on. 

“You’re not busy today?” Elsa asked. “I wouldn’t want to interrupt you if you need to work.”

“No,” Anna said. “You picked the perfect day.” 

“That’s good,” Elsa let out a sigh of relief.

“So what is troubling you sister?” Anna asked. “Do you wanna talk outside? It’s a great day, so it’d be a waste to stay in bed and talk.”

“That would be great,” Elsa smiled.

“Baby,” Anna turned to Kristoff. “Could you watch after Olaf? I don’t want him to run into trouble.”

“Of course,” Kristoff replied. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t crawl into the oven again.”

“Oven?” Elsa looked between the two of them. 

“I’ll tell you the story on the way to the courtyard.” Anna nervously chuckled as she pulled Elsa along who was staring at Kristoff for an explanation.

“He’s a growing boy,” Anna said as they sat down in the courtyard. “Of course he’d be curious.”

“About crawling into an oven?” Elsa asked.

“You know,” Anna laughed. “Those darn kids,”

“I guess.” Elsa let out a soft laugh. “I’m glad nothing happened to him.”

“And that’s what matters in the end,” Anna replied. “So, what’s troubling you, my dear sister?”

“Alright, so lately Honeymaren and I have been getting closer lately and it’s been making me really happy,” Elsa said. “And recently, when I’m around her, I feel this feeling. I don’t think it’s anxiety because I don’t enter immediate panic mode. My heart races, my face flushes, and it makes me very embarrassed and shy to look at her. It’s not… unpleasant though. Do you have any advice?”

Elsa looked up from her fidgeting hands and was met with a beaming Anna. Elsa was slightly taken aback.

“Anna?” Elsa asked. “Why do you look like that… and I mean that in the least offensive way.”

“Elsa,” Anna’s smile took up half of her face. “I think what you’re feeling is love.”

“Love?” Elsa now was definitely taken aback. “No that can’t be right. I just really wanted to be her friend… right?”

Anna put a shoulder on Elsa. “My sweet, beautiful, naive sister. I’m pretty sure that’s love.”

“No,” Elsa shook her head. “What you and Kristoff have is love. What mom and dad had is love. What Mattias and Halima have is is love.”

“And Oaken and his husband,” Anna added.

“Exactly,” Elsa affirmed.

“You just missed my point.” Anna looked at Elsa.

“No, I’m pretty sure I got your point,” Elsa said. 

“Oaken is a man,” Anna said slowly.

“I didn’t think he was a woman?” Elsa raised an eyebrow.

“And his husband,” Anna said a little louder. “Is a man.”

“Yes, I get that.” Elsa said.

A second passed.

“Oh…” Elsa said softly.

“Elsa, I love you… but sometimes I wonder about you.” Anna laughed. “Love can be between people of the same gender. Love has no restrictions.”

“But… I can’t be in love with Honeymaren,” Elsa denied. “I can’t be…”

“Why not?” Anna asked. “It definitely is possible, and seems very likely.”

Elsa didn’t seem to comprehend the situation and her face was contorted in confusion.

“Ok,” Anna said. “Tell me about Honeymaren and we’ll see if you like her from there.”

“What do you want to know?” Elsa asked.

“Anything,” Anna replied.

“Well,” Elsa said. “She’s kind, strong, funny, and compassionate. She makes me feel at ease. She’s touchy, but I don’t particularly hate it recently.”

Anna’s smile grew as she watched Elsa pick up speed.

“When she smiles it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy in my stomach. When she laughs it revives me and makes me forget all the pain I have inside. Her eyes are so beautiful… I regret being a coward, as I could’ve appreciated them more if I had the courage to look at her face. She’s so… beautiful.” Elsa’s smile grew as she continued, but then her mouth turned into an ‘o’, “I think I’m in love with Honeymaren.” 

“Yep,” Anna said. “Sure seems like it.”

“Is this what love feels like?” Elsa asked. “I’ve never felt it before, that I never realized the possibility that I could be in love. What if it’s not love and just how I feel when I become friends with someone?”

“No, it seems like love,” Anna confirmed. “Why? It seems like you don’t want to be in love.”

“Love… is scary…” Elsa said. “I remember mother telling me that I needed to love myself first, and I do! I had an entire journey of self-actualization that turned out successful, but I feel like there are parts of me that I have yet to love.”

“If you aren’t ready then you don’t have to rush into a relationship,” Anna said. “Just because you like someone it doesn’t mean that you are obliged to get into a relationship with them. You can take your time on this stuff. Plus, you don’t have to be perfect to get into a relationship. If that person loves you then they’ll be willing to help you through your struggles. Of course, you could also do that out of a relationship, so don’t think you can only get better through a relationship. It’s all based on what you think and what you want.”

“What if she doesn’t like me?” Elsa said. 

“That’s all part of the experience.” Anna shrugged. “Based on my knowledge of Honeymaren and what you told me, she’d be willing to be friends with you if she did reject you. I’m not saying that she will reject you though.”

“What if she does,” Elsa said. “What if she hates me?”

“She won’t,” Anna placed a comforting hand on Elsa. “You said it, she’s kind and understanding, she’ll never hate you.”

“But-”

“No buts,” Anna said. “You’re letting your anxiety talk for you. Just take a deep breath. It’s ok.”

Elsa took a deep breath in, and slowly let it out. She repeated this until she completely calmed down. 

“Better?” Anna asked.

“Better.” Elsa nodded. “We’ll see where this goes.”

“Into the unknown, am I right,” Anna nudged Elsa playfully. 

“You heard that?” Elsa blushed in embarrassment. “That was so long ago too… how do you remember?”

“Of course I heard it. And anyone would remember an amazing performance like that at midnight.” Anna laughed.

“Oh gosh,” Elsa shook her head as she suppressed a smile. “How was my E flat?”

“Impeccable,” Anna said. “It was so clear I heard it in my sleep.”

“Thanks,” Elsa laughed.

“Since you’re here,” Anna started. “You wanna stick around? Catch up? Family game night?”

“That sounds nice.” Elsa smiled. “I need a break from all this figuring stuff out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinda just random but I wanted to share. 
> 
> I always thought that it would be amazing for Elsa to at least have a subtle coming out (but Disney is homophobic and they would never allow a gay princess to live). So I thought of this idea.
> 
> Anna and Kristoff are having their wedding and after they have their kiss Mattias slides over to Elsa and teases her like "Your sister got married before you, when do you plan on getting a boyfriend?" kinda in a joking uncle way. Then Elsa replies "I'm not really interested in that," 
> 
> So it kinda goes both ways to where she's not interested in men or not interested in love (so both sides are happy). 
> 
> I thought that would be really cute.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family game night... And a different family talk night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is shorter but I would say it's pretty charming!
> 
> I finally got the Frozen 2 DVD and I can't wait to watch it 3094293 more times while being quarantined in my house!
> 
> I hope you guys are staying safe! Hope you don't get the corona virus!
> 
> Like always, if you enjoyed leave a comment (and kudo if you haven't)!

“Is that a… door?” Olaf asked as he observed the picture Kristoff was drawing.

“No,” Kristoff said as he added small details. 

“A pitchfork?” Olaf guessed.

Kristoff shook his head and drew an arrow pointing at the poorly drawn rectangular object. 

“A handle?” Olaf said slowly. 

“Yes!” Kristoff threw his hands up in excitement.

“Time’s up!” Anna said as Sven shook the bell between his teeth. 

“Kristoff, I mean to say this in the least offensive way,” Olaf took a deep breath in. “You need to work on your drawing skills. Elsa is Picasso compared to you and she puts minimal effort in her drawings.”

“Hey,” Kristoff nudged Olaf. “Not like you are any better.”

“I am literally a toddler,” Olaf stated. “People my age usually don’t draw well.” 

“The more you grow older,” Kristoff sighed. “The more you get on my nerves.”

“Kids my age usually do,” Olaf laughed. “I call it the thinking-that-you’re-going-through-puberty-but-you’re-still-just-a-child stage.”

“That’s oddly specific,” Elsa said with a hint of confusion. 

“I wonder how you came up with a name for it.” Anna joked. “Sometimes your intelligence scares me.”

“Alas, cruel ignorance manifests towards conception,” Olaf said in a low voice while looking off in the distance.

“You ok there?” Elsa laughed as she booped Olaf’s nose. “You look a little lost.”

“Sorry, all this aging has turned me philosophical,” Olaf replied. 

“I can see,” Elsa said. 

“Ok, Elsa!” Anna said as she plopped down on the couch. “It’s our turn! Let’s show them our powerful sister telepathy.” 

“Wait am I going up or you?” Elsa asked. 

“You, silly!” Anna slapped her back and Elsa instantly stood up. 

Elsa wanted to keep holding on to the pillow she had in her lap, but Sven was already used to this pattern and held on to it so Elsa left without the comfort of her pillow.

Sven walked behind Anna with a bunch of big white boards with words in his antlers. Sven rang the bell in his mouth and Elsa started to draw out her first word. 

“Bird! Wing? Feather!” Anna exclaimed. 

Elsa nodded and began drawing out the next word that Sven presented behind Anna.

“Waffle!” Anna said barely a second after Elsa outlined a particular bumpy circle.

“Yes,” Elsa laughed before moving on to her next drawing.

“How did you get waffle from that?” Kristoff stammered.

“It’s our sister's telepathy,” Anna said but with full concentration on Elsa’s drawing. “ANT!”

Elsa and Anna won by an eleven point gap, which earned the two sisters a short celebration.

“Kristoff, you really need to step it up,” Olaf sighed. “Thinking about it, there must be a correlation with being left-handed and being a good drawer because a lot of great artists are left-handed.”

“When did you have the time to learn about all this?” Elsa asked.

“When those two are busy with work,” Olaf pointed at Anna and Kristoff. “I like to learn about stuff because it makes me motivated to work when they are working.”

“I also see that you’ve improved on writing,” Elsa said as she smiled at Olaf.

“Really?” Olaf beamed. “It’s all because of Anna’s great teaching skills… you could say Kristoff helped too.”

“Why do you keep attacking me,” Kristoff said dramatically.

“It’s called rough loving.” Olaf replied.

“Tough love,” Kristoff corrected. 

“No, I’m pretty sure I’m right.” Olaf shook his head.

Elsa and Anna laughed as the two boys continued their banter. Suddenly, Elsa turned to Anna and hugged her.

“Thanks for listening to me again,” Elsa said. 

“Anytime,” Anna said as she hugged back. “That’s what sisters are for.”

“I should head back now,” Elsa said as she pulled away. “It was really fun to play games with you all again.” 

Elsa turned and gave Kristoff and Olaf a hug.

“Come back more often,” Kristoff said. “It’s always fun when you’re around.”

“And we miss you,” Olaf added. 

“I’ll try to,” Elsa smiled. “And I always miss you guys too,” 

“Make sure to update me,” Anna winked. 

“I’ll try my best,” Elsa winked back. 

“Update?” Olaf asked. “For what?”

“It’s our girl secret,” Anna smiled. 

“Dang, you girls are sneaky,” Olaf sighed. 

Elsa waved to them goodbye as they walked her out of the castle. The wind tousled her hair as she turned to call the Nokk. The water horse appeared in the water in front of her and nuzzled at her messed up hair, fixing it the best it could. 

“Thank you,” Elsa laughed. “Now, let’s go home,”

“Ryder what am I going to do!” Honeymaren said as she crashed down on his bed and on top of him. 

“I don’t know, you tell me.” Ryder asked. “Did you gain weight?”

“I’m being serious!” Honeymaren said as she sat up. “And don’t even comment on a woman’s weight.”

“As your brother, I don’t classify you as a woman and thus I will comment on your weight.” Ryder teased. 

“You know what, I did gain weight,” Honeymaren shot him a look. “The weight of knowing all your dark secrets which I will spill to the whole tribe.”

“Haha, good one,” Ryder laughed. 

“Don’t test me,” Honeymaren grinned.

“Ok, tell me about your troubles.” Ryder replied.

“So, I really think that Elsa and I are getting closer,” Honeymaren said. “She told me about herself and her problems, which I won’t be telling you because that’s her jurisdiction, and I think she is becoming more and more comfortable.”

“But?” Ryder said.

“But I think more and more I’m falling in love with her and it’s starting to kinda hurt.” Honeymaren covered her face. “Before our date, I had a dream about her-”

Honeymaren looked up and saw Ryder’s mischievous expression.

“Not that kind of dream, pervert.” Honeymaren shoved Ryder. “Ever since that dream, I realized that I’ve reached the point where I can’t turn back.”

Honeymaren clutched her chest at the thought of Elsa. She shoved her face into her hands and let out a long groan.

“We went up to the mountain and she really liked it. Call me delusional, but when she said that the view was beautiful, it felt like she was calling me beautiful,” Honeymaren said softly.

“As much as I want you and Elsa to get together,” Ryder said. “Even that seems a little delusional. No, not a little, a lot.” 

“I mean… yeah… you’re right.” Honeymaren’s posture slumped. “Why did I have to fall in love?”

“I don’t know, you tell me.” said Ryder. 

“Love is so hard! I don’t want to mess up our friendship, but at this point, my heart isn’t satisfied with staying as friends. It sucks!” Honeymaren threw her hands up. “Maybe it’ll pass.”

“Sister, as you know, I know nothing about women.” Ryder reminded Honeymaren. “So I’m not the best person to ask for advice.”

“Well, at least I can talk to you about this stuff.” Honeymaren said. 

“I’m your best hype man.” Ryder patted Honeymaren’s shoulder. “And I believe that no matter what, Elsa won’t think of you badly.”

“I hope…” Honeymaren said.

Honeymaren looked up at the roof of Ryder’s tent. She shook her head.

“I’m happy with being her friend.” Honeymaren felt like she needed to say it for it to become true. 

Ryder didn’t comment on her exclamation. He didn’t want to knock her down for that thought, for it wouldn’t help for him to do that. Ryder just silently agreed and let Honeymaren walk out of his tent without another word.

“Who is an expert in love…” Ryder sighed.

He thought about everyone in the tribe. 

“Marc? No… Tess? No…” Ryder mentally crossed off mostly everyone from the tribe. “They probably won’t be of much help.”

Ryder kept thinking of potential people whom he could ask for advice for Honeymaren. Ryder quickly sat up.

“That’s it!” He exclaimed. 

Ryder reached over and grabbed a pen, which was still fairly new from his lack of use. He pulled out a slightly crumpled piece of paper and began writing.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryder and Anna send each other letters.  
> Elsa has a not so pleasant dream.
> 
> (Trigger warning: Slight homophobia, anxiety, hinted suicide themes)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting tomorrow my state is officially on lockdown... so I'll have hopefully more time to write (assuming that I don't waste my time on Animal Crossing and watching Frozen 2 nonstop)!
> 
> Stay safe! Wash your hands! Learn to do something you've always wanted to do! Gotta love being quarantined!

_Dear Queen Anna,_

_Hello! It’s been a while! I would love to just kinda talk and catch up but I have another reason for writing this letter. I know that compared to all your other letters and work, this is very trivial… but please take the time to read this letter! There is someone I know who likes your sister, Elsa. I can’t tell you who exactly! It’s top-secret! Anyway! I was wondering if you had any advice? Like how to swoon your sister? Wow, that’s really awkward… I can imagine how you’re feeling reading this. I would really appreciate it if you could help me help my friend because I feel like they would be really cute together! Feel free to just write back on this piece of paper. I wouldn’t want you to waste your paper._

_Ryder_

_Dear Ryder,_

_What’s up! You need to stop by one day! Kristoff is in some dire need for manly exchange!_

_In regards to your issue… I’m sorry Ryder I’m going to have to be the bearer of bad news… Elsa is not into you and her heart belongs elsewhere. Sorry._

_I will not be able to help you because Elsa has rejection anxiety and I would not want to put her in that position. I would love to help you find another partner though! If that makes you feel better._

_Sincerely, Anna_

_Dear Anna,_

_Oh my gosh! No no! I’m not the one who likes Elsa! It’s my sister_

_Ignore that, please._

_I totally understand and thank you for taking my request into consideration! I would love to stop by one day and hang out with you guys! Maybe I’ll bring Honeymaren too if she’s free!_

_Ryder_

_Ryder..._

_Did you write that Honeymaren was the one who likes my sister?_

_Anna_

_Dear Anna,_

_…_

_No?_

_Dear Ryder,_

_Well… the person whom I was talking about that Elsa liked… was Honeymaren…_

_Elsa likes Honeymaren._

_Is she the “friend” you were talking about?_

_Anna_

_Dear Anna,_

_Wait really?_

_Elsa likes my sister? Like actually? Because she is the “friend” I was talking about. Wow… I thought that this only happened in movies! What do we do now?_

_Ryder_

_Dear Ryder,_

_I know right! That’s so wild! This feels like we are the wingmen in a movie or something. Well… I would think that we should tell them, but telling Elsa is pointless because she’s so full of doubt. But maybe we need to wait and see how this plays out? Don’t wanna jump right into it… I feel like we should see how they kinda fall into place._

_But we should probably hint like crazy because from what I know… they are both very much useless when it comes down to stuff like this._

_Ryder Nattura, as the only person who bears this knowledge and is in close proximity of the two, I leave it in your hands to guide and watch this pure love blossom._

_Can I trust you?_

_Anna_

_Dear Queen Anna,_

_I will not let you down! Love getting into character!_

_Ryder_

_Dear Ryder,_

_I know right! It gets me pumped!_

_Anna_

_Dear Anna,_

_Before I go…_

_I need advice on how to do that…_

_Ryder_

Elsa knew she was dreaming. Her surroundings were dark and empty. It was cold and her fingers felt numb. She clamped her hands together to thaw them out, but her hands only grew colder. She looked around and suddenly she was surrounded by people. She recognized many from Arendelle and on the other side of her she saw many from the Northuldra tribe. 

The sound of footsteps cut through the silence and Elsa turned her head to face her sister. Her sister had a chilling smile, which looked unusual considering her usual cheery demeanor. 

“Do you really want to add another thing to your long list of inconveniences,” Anna said in a voice that wasn’t hers. 

“What do you mean?” Elsa replied in a shaky voice.

“You know what I mean,” Kristoff said as he came forward. His voice was the same voice as Anna’s.

“Congratulations!” Yelena said. 

“You’re gay,” Olaf said without a hint of a smile. 

“You’re depressed,” Mattias said.

“You’re selfish,” Ryder said.

“You’re filled with numerous anxieties,” Hans said. “Which… are they even real? It seems fake even.”

In any other circumstance, Elsa would want to punch Hans, but she was paralyzed by fear and she had nowhere to run as they were all closing in on her. 

“Pathetic,” Honeymaren said. 

Elsa could feel her heart shatter. It wasn’t the real Honeymaren… but it might as well be.

“How can you even think that being gay is ok?” Honeymaren scoffed. “It’s disgusting. I would never want another woman preying on me.” 

“This is just a dream…” Elsa muttered to herself. “This isn’t real.”

“Oh, but it is real,” the fake Honeymaren stepped closer. “The reality of this all is that when you wake up you’re still the pathetic, weak, disgusting homo you are. No one could love someone like you. It’s a burden to carry someone with as much emotional baggage as you.”

“Now, when are you going to let me win?”

The voice rang clear and Elsa looked past the crowd of people and saw one person standing back. Elsa’s eyes widen at the sight of this person. It was Elsa except something about her seemed much crueler. Her smile twisted and her eyes dark, like stormy waters.

“Everything will be much better when you’re gone.” The fake Elsa said. “Just let me take control and it’ll be over soon.”

The fake Elsa appeared in front of Elsa in a blink of an eye. Her cold hands extended towards Elsa.

“Now, just relax.” 

Elsa closed her eyes and shot an icy blast from her hands. The sound of a surprised yip made Elsa realize that she was awake. She opened her eyes and saw a trembling Bruni who had barely missed becoming a wall decoration on the side of her tent. 

“Oh my god,” Elsa said as she slowly approached Bruni. “I’m so sorry.”

She put her hand out and when Bruni crawled in she pet his head and produced comforting snowflakes. 

Tears burned Elsa’s eyes and soon they fell from her eyes. Bruni looked up at her curiously. 

“I’m sorry…” Elsa said between sobs. “It never seems to end.”


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something is off...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short chapter... which I'm sorry about because I personally don't think it's that great of a chapter either.
> 
> I think this fanfic has finally reached the point of the beginning of the end. I don't know how many more chapter, but the end is very near! Also thank you sooooooo much for 300 kudos! That's amazing!

Honeymaren watched Willy as he wobbled to his feet. 

“Come on, you can do this,” Honeymaren said encouragingly. 

Willy took one step and then plopped down on his belly. Honeymaren walked over to Willy and picked him up. Willy slumped in her arms in defeat and whimpered as she walked closer to the stables.

“It’s ok, Willy,” Honeymaren said. “Let’s try again tomorrow.” 

Honeymaren placed Willy down and made sure that he had enough food and water. She pat his head before leaving to tend to the other reindeer. 

“My favorite sister!” Ryder jumped on Honeymaren and ruffled her hair. 

“Ryder!” Honeymaren said as she shoved him and fixed her hair. “You scared me.”

“That was the plan,” Ryder laughed as he picked up her hat and gave it to her.

“What do you want?” Honeymaren asked. “I hope you didn’t just come to bug me.”

“What if I did?” Ryder raised an eyebrow. 

“Why am I not surprised.” Honeymaren shook her head as she let out a small laugh.

“But actually, I’m here to specifically bug you about the E to the L to the S to the A.” Ryder whispered.

“Elsa?” Honeymaren said. “What about her? Is she doing alright?”

“I just really think that you should make a move on her,” Ryder suggested. “What’s the worst thing that can happen?”

“I get rejected horribly, I give Elsa rejection anxiety, I give Elsa just overall anxiety, we stop being friends, she leaves.” Honeymaren replied.

“But you’re missing the possibility that she might say yes,” Ryder said. 

“What are the chances that she’ll say yes if I ask her out?” Honeymaren crossed her arms. “We aren’t in some sort of fairy tale where love can automatically be reciprocated.”

“You’d be surprised.” Ryder muttered.

“What was that?” Honeymaren asked. 

“Nothing,” Ryder replied. 

“I’ve got work to do,” Honeymaren said. She didn’t know why but she felt agitated. “So if that’s what you came to say then I think we’re done.”

“Honeymaren,” Ryder said softly. “Why are you acting like this?”

Ryder felt a strange chill, which was unusual considering that the weather was nice. 

“Acting like what.” Honeymaren said sharply. 

“You seem upset.” Ryder said. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong?” Honeymaren looked at Ryder. “I’m wrong.”

“What do you mean?” Ryder said. “Where is this coming from?”

“Do you know how hard it is to fall in love with people that you shouldn’t fall in love with? Do you know how hard it is to be talking to another person and then they throw out slurs to your face and you just have to smile and take it? Do you know how hard it is to just laugh along in fear of them suspecting that I’m gay if I say something back?” Honeymaren asked. 

Honeymaren’s eyes grew dark and something inside of her began to unravel. She didn’t feel like herself, she wanted to stop but she couldn’t. She felt cold. 

“I only want to be friends with Elsa, so why do you keep coming back trying to change that?” Honeymaren said. 

“You seemed so happy before...” Ryder said. “Why are you acting like this?

“You don’t understand.” Honeymaren replied. “Being gay is not a good thing. It’s terrible. It creates unnecessary problems and makes everything harder. I hate it.”

Ryder opened his mouth to say something--anything to calm his sister down--but he turned his head as he heard a receding noise. He ignored it, hoping that it was a mere animal and not anyone who could’ve possibly overheard Honeymaren’s outburst.

Suddenly tears ran from Honeymaren’s eyes. Her usual glow in her eyes returned and she felt fatigued. She wrapped her arms around her body to regain heat. 

“Why did I say that?” Honeymaren asked. “I swear… I didn’t mean that…”

Ryder looked at her in confusion, but comforted her anyways. 

“Hey, it’s ok,” Ryder said. “You were stressed. I’m sorry I kept pushing you.”

Ryder noticed that the strange chill had disappeared. 

“No, it’s not that.” Honeymaren said. 

Honeymaren took a deep breath in. 

“I don’t know why I said that.” Honeymaren said. “I wanted to stop, but it felt as if someone were forcing out words that didn’t feel like my own.”

“I don’t know… it felt like it kinda did come from you…” Ryder admitted.

“Alright, yes, I admit that being gay is hard and sucks for finding a partner… but I don’t hate it…” Honeymaren said softly. “Maybe a little… but still. It felt as if I were being provoked, you know?”

“I think you need some rest,” Ryder said. 

“The day has barely started.” Honeymaren said as Ryder helped her to her feet, which admittedly, took a lot of effort. 

“I’ll tell the others that you’ll be out of commission for the day.” Ryder said. “You do a lot of work every day so they’ll understand.”

“I’m sorry,” Honeymaren said.

“For the yelling or not working?” Ryder asked. 

“Both…” Honeymaren said. “Also it really sucks to hear it being said when I didn’t exactly clarify.”

“Sibling telepathy,” Ryder said. “But sorry, I shouldn't have vocalized it.” 

“No, it’s fine,” Honeymaren said. “I deserved it.”

They reached Honeymaren’s tent and Ryder made sure that Honeymaren was all settled--he wanted to make sure that she would take the day off and rest.

“I’m feeling much better,” Honeymaren said. “I should go help.”

“Not so fast.” Ryder said as he placed a hand on her forehead. “It seems like you’re burning up. Geez sis, you really outdid it this time.”

Honeymaren didn’t realize how hot her temperature had become. She was so focused on getting warm after feeling like she walked out naked in a blizzard that she didn’t realize that she had gotten incredibly hot.

“Wow, today is just terrible.” Honeymaren groaned. 

“Which is why you need rest.” Ryder said. “You’ll feel a lot better tomorrow.”

“Thanks,” Honeymaren replied. 

Her eyelids felt heavy and her mind was hazy. She hated the thought of being useless and refused to sleep, but her fatigue beat her stubbornness and soon she fell into a deep sleep. 

“Thanks a lot,” A voice said to Honeymaren.

Honeymaren turned around and was met with no one. The voice came from everywhere so she couldn’t pinpoint where this mysterious person was. 

“Come out,” Honeymaren said. 

Her voice was quiet in comparison to the echoing voice. Honeymaren looked around and she felt chills. 

_This has to be a dream…_

The trees around her seemed fake, and she couldn’t feel the breeze against her skin or hear the leaves rustling… only an unsettling coldness. Suddenly she heard footsteps--the sound of heels clicking were unusual on the soft ground. Honeymaren turned around and was shocked as she was face-to-face with Elsa… not Elsa… this person seemed different. Her eyes were dark, her hair was wild, and she had a sinister look plastered on her face. 

“Who are you?” Honeymaren glared.

“I’m hurt,” The person replied. “I’m your beloved Elsa.”

“No you’re not,” Honeymaren snarled. “Who are you,”

“Whether you believe me or not,” The person said. “I am Elsa. Her and I are one.. But not for long.”

“What do you mean?” Honeymaren said. “What are you going to do?”

“You’ll see,” The person laughed.

Honeymaren jolted awake as she heard a scream. She sat up and recognized the voice immediately. 

_Elsa!_


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elsa is not ok.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING!  
> This chapter deals with a lot of triggering topics such as s*icide, a*xiety, internalized homophobia.
> 
> I am sooo sorry if this chapter triggers or offends you (and I'm sorry if it is not written with good rep of these issues).

Elsa decided that she would go pay Willy a visit. Her dream the previous night left her in a terrible mood and she needed something to distract her and lift her spirits. It had been a while since Elsa had seen the little reindeer so she had hoped that he had made progress. 

_I wonder if Honeymaren is there?_

Elsa’s grip around her carrots tightened, but she relaxed it remembering that she didn’t want to crush them. She had guessed since Sven enjoyed eating carrots, then maybe Willy would too. Whenever she thought about Honeymaren, flashes of her dream would cross her mind. 

_That was just a nightmare… it’s not real…_

_But it is real._

Elsa shook the thoughts from her mind, but to no avail, they came back.

_It’s disgusting._

_People will act like they support you, but in reality it’s disgusting._

_No one wants to talk to someone who will continuously look at them like that._

_Honeymaren would find you disgusting._

“No,” Elsa muttered. “Honeymaren isn’t like that. She’s kind, understanding, and an amazing friend… she would understand. Yeah, she’d act the same and act as if nothing changed if she ever did find out.”

Elsa continued to mutter to herself in an attempt to drown out the voices crowding her head. Also, she felt like she had to say it out loud or else she wouldn’t believe what she was saying. She continued to repeat “Honeymaren is kind,” and “she would never hate me,” to engrave it into her mind, so she would convince herself that what she thought was real. 

Elsa kept her head high. She wasn’t going to let baseless thoughts and a stupid nightmare ruin her day. Elsa got close to the stables and was a little confused when she didn’t see Willy and Honeymaren outside. Usually at this time Honeymaren would be helping Willy with walking. 

“Honeymaren?” Elsa called out. There was no answer. 

Elsa shrugged it off and thought that maybe Honeymaren was running late… about an hour late… it’s possible… right?

Elsa walked towards the door and she heard voices.

_Is that Honeymaren?_

Elsa put her hand up to knock on the door.

“I only want to be friends with Elsa, so why do you keep coming back trying to change that?” Honeymaren said. 

Elsa froze. Who was she talking to? What were they talking about? Elsa could’ve knocked and saved herself of whatever they were conversing about, but her body would not move.

“You seemed so happy before...” Ryder said. “Why are you acting like this?

_Ryder?_

_Is Honeymaren mad? About what?_

Elsa felt terrible eavesdropping--especially when it was between siblings. Elsa turned to walk away, not wanting to interrupt or listen to anything that could be private.

“You don’t understand.” Honeymaren replied. “Being gay is not a good thing. It’s terrible. It creates unnecessary problems and makes everything harder. I hate it.”

Those words hit Elsa like a wave of freezing waters. 

_She hates it?_

_Does she suspect that I’m gay?_

_Does she know?_

_She knows and she hates you. Can’t you see?_

Elsa’s vision darkened and her breathing hastened. She clawed at her throat but it didn’t help the fact that she couldn’t breathe. Tears ran from her eyes and all the thoughts that she suppressed came out like waters rushing out a broken dam.

_She hates you._

_You’re disgusting._

_You like women? Ew._

_Why don’t you just kill yourself._

_No one likes you._

_You’re better off gone._

_No one likes homos._

_Just die._

Elsa ran. She didn’t know where to go. Her vision was dark and she fumbled and bumped into numerous objects but she wanted to be anywhere but there. 

_How pathetic._

_You’re weak._

_Just die._

_No one wants you._

_No one cares about you._

_Why not end it all?_

_Let me take over._

_It’ll be over before you know it._

_It’ll be easier._

_Just die._

Elsa’s eyes bolted back and forth. She hadn’t realized the crowd that had started to surround her. Voices called out to her in concern. Everywhere she looked there were eyes staring at her. The air around her grew colder and colder as the mumbling around her grew louder and louder. No one dared to approach in fear of getting frozen.

Elsa looked down at her shaking hands. She had to calm down. She tried to be rational but fear took over and all she could think of was all the eyes staring at her.

“Stop it…” Elsa muttered. 

Some people called for her name, trying to calm her down but all of those voices were drowned out by Elsa’s internal voices. 

_They don’t care about you._

_Stop making a scene._

_You’re embarrassing._

_They are looking at you._

_Look, they are judging you._

_So pathetic._

_Haha they know your secret._

_They know that you’re gay._

_They think that you are just an ugly fucking homo._

_Stop making a scene!_

_I’m scared_

_You can’t do this._

_I can’t do this.  
Stop shaking.  
Why are you shaking?  
You’re alone.  
You don’t matter.  
You’re disgusting.  
They only tolerate you because of your status.  
They don’t need you.  
Give in._

_Why don’t you just kill yourself._

Something snapped in Elsa’s mind and she let out a loud scream. Elsa’s body grew numb but not because of the frigid air around her. Elsa grabbed her head as it started pounding as hard as her heart. It hurt. The people who were gathered around her backed away and even ran. The violent swirling vortex around her came to an eerie halt. Her head hurt like hell as if it were to burst. Tears streamed from her eyes and froze as they fell from her face. Everything hurt and she couldn’t breathe. 

Elsa closed her eyes as the pain only grew. She was shaking but not from the cold. Elsa opened her eyes and looked up to see a shadow looking at her.

_Give in._

_It’ll feel better once it’s over._

Fear gripped Elsa’s mind and she felt shivers down her back. The figure took a step forward towards her and she wanted to run, but she couldn’t move. She opened her mouth to say something but nothing would come out. 

_I’m scared._

For a moment all the pain faded and there was a moment of strange peace, but it was quickly replaced with a cold emptiness and horrible dread. The shadow in front of her had started to materialize into a person and Elsa could only watch in horror. 

“Recognize me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm soooo sorry! I did not notice that some of the format stuff was messed up! I fixed them now! Sorry for the inconvenience and sorry if a lot of stuff was confusing!


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elsa vs Elsa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not very good at fighting scenes so I'm sorry in advance!
> 
> I had an idea for this chapter at first but then it changed like 5 times while I was writing it so hopefully it's clear and not confusing! This story is almost done! Wow! I'm gonna be sad when I finish... 
> 
> As always! If you enjoyed leave a comment and/or kudo if you haven't already! It feels really weird to be asking every time... it's not an obligation! Reading it is encouragement enough!
> 
> Thanks and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Elsa shakily brought her hands to her face. Looking at the person in front of her made her stomach drop. It felt like she was looking into some sort of cursed mirror. Her legs gave out and she could only watch the person look down at her with spite. 

“To think that I’m this pathetic” The person spat. “No, I won’t compare us. We are nothing alike. Obviously. I think your time’s up.”

“Elsa!” 

A familiar voice cut through Elsa’s ears painfully. She turned and saw Honeymaren and immediately was filled with depression and anxiety. Thoughts of what she overheard from Honeymaren flooded her mind and suddenly all of her energy was sapped out. 

Honeymaren looked at Elsa and then at the other Elsa in confusion. Her eyes widened as she remembered what she dreamt about. 

“Elsa!” 

Honeymaren tried to yell over the howling winds, but her efforts were in vain. Elsa wouldn’t look at her and the winds only grew stronger and louder. Honeymaren shivered as the cold air cut through every nerve. Honeymaren didn’t dare to think about what might happen to Elsa if she didn’t help her soon.

“Ah, look at that audience.” The person mused. “Now, let’s get this show started.”

The other Elsa laughed, which Elsa flinched in response. Hearing… herself laugh like that was novel and made her incredibly uncomfortable. 

_This isn’t real._

“It is real,” The other Elsa replied. “And I’m not going anywhere.”

The other Elsa shot an ice blast towards fearful spectators and used frosty winds to push other people away. Honeymaren kept her ground and tried to approach, only to wince backwards. Honeymaren looked down at her hands and felt that they had gone numb. If she got any closer, she would freeze to death.

“Elsa!” Honeymaren called. “Please get up!” 

Elsa ignored the calls from her friend… was Honeymaren even a friend? Was she faking everything? Did she become friends with Elsa out of pity? 

“It’s funny how you would even think that anybody would like you,” The other Elsa laughed. “So childish.”

Elsa covered her ears. Maybe if she ignored everything, everything would get better. Yeah… just act normal and ignore it… just like always. 

“It won’t help,” The other Elsa’s voice rang clear. “It’s so like you to just ignore your problems.”

The other Elsa grabbed Elsa’s arm and hoisted her up. Their blue eyes met and Elsa shook in fear. 

“You always walk away from your problems and ignore it thinking it’ll pass. You ignored Anna for most of your life. Don’t give me bullshit about you wanting to protect her. I’m you, and I know everything there is to know about you.” Elsa sneered. “You ignored her because you were scared for yourself. You hid away your powers thinking that it would help, but obviously it didn’t because you froze the whole fucking kingdom.”

“No that’s not true,” Elsa stammered. 

“Oh, but it is,” The other Elsa replied. “You tried to ignore the fact that you were a menace to the kingdom and ran away. You love to ignore the problem and run away. Fucking coward. You see now, we always find our way back to you.”

The other Elsa pushed Elsa away and shot a powerful blast towards her. Elsa rolled out of the way and looked back to see a large sculpture of ice spiking out in every direction. 

_She’s really trying to kill me._

The other Elsa shot another blast which Elsa blocked by creating a shield of ice. 

“Why don’t you fight back?” The other Elsa said. “Planning on running away again?”

“Elsa!” Honeymaren yelled. 

Elsa turned to look at Honeymaren. Honeymaren noticed the change in expression on Elsa’s face… she looked scared and sad. Honeymaren was confused. Was it something she did? Honeymaren’s eyes widened.

_Did she hear?_

Honeymaren looked at Elsa and she wanted to desperately say something but all she could say was:

“Look out!” 

Elsa deflected a blast hurtling towards her. 

“Why are you doing this?” Elsa asked. “Why now?”

“You don’t understand.” The other Elsa said. “I’ve always been here. I’ve always been doing this. You just ignored it and thought that it would go away. It never does.”

There was a scream. Elsa looked to see a little child shivering and cowering in fear. Honeymaren ran over to the boy to calm him down. Elsa could see that she was repeating “it’s ok,” but he continued to cry and eventually his panic spread to others and soon the people were in havoc. 

“Look Elsa,” The other Elsa said. “Look at what you’ve caused.”

“No,” Elsa said. “This is because of you. They’re scared of you…” 

“You forget,” The other Elsa laughed. “There is no good Elsa or bad Elsa--just Elsa. I’m you and you are me.”

“You’re wrong.” Elsa said. 

“There you go again,” The other Elsa snarled. “How long are you going to dismiss me? It’s been long enough.” 

The other Elsa summoned multiple ice shards and shot them towards Elsa. Again Elsa set up an ice shield, but the force of her attack was too much and the shield shattered. Elsa felt something grab the side of her dress and she was yanked out of the line of fire. Elsa was in shock and didn’t register that she was being pulled out of the ice vortex. 

“Holy spirits! That was frigid! I thought I was gonna die!” 

Elsa looked into her savior’s eyes and was surprised when she recognized the honey brown color.

“Honeymaren?” Elsa said. “What are you doing? You could’ve died!”

“I didn’t,” Honeymaren. “Though I can’t really feel parts of my body.” 

Elsa examined Honeymaren and saw that her clothes were coated in frost and ice and her hair was wet from the melting snow. Elsa grabbed Honeymaren’s hands and saw that the tips of her fingers were red. Elsa hoped it wasn’t stage three frostbites. 

“Honey, why would you do that,” Elsa said. “Your body isn’t made to withstand that low of a temperature.”

Elsa looked up at Honeymaren’s face and saw that it was incredibly red. Elsa didn’t notice, but Honeymaren noticed Elsa calling her “Honey”. It was the most adorable thing ever and Honeymaren had to force every fiber in her body to not react. 

“Your face too,” Elsa said softly. 

She placed a hand on her cheek but then remembered what Honeymaren said back at the stables. Elsa pulled her hand away.

“Sorry…” She said in a shaky voice.

“No it’s ok,” Honeymaren said. “Hey, what’s wrong? Did something happen?”

She didn't want to bring what she said in case Elsa didn't hear. But whatever it was, Honeymaren wanted to set things straight.

“No, it’s ok,” Elsa said. 

Elsa didn’t want to look at Honeymaren any longer so instead she looked back at the ice vortex to see the other Elsa crouched. A flash of confusion crossed Elsa’s face. 

_She’s not attacking anyone?_

“No, it’s not.” Honeymaren said. “Elsa, please look at me.” 

Elsa slowly complied. She looked down at the ground trying to avoid the shorter girl's eye contact… which was hard because when she looked down she could still see Honeymaren. She dropped her line of sight even lower, which was futile because Honeymaren made sure to be in view. 

“What’s wrong?” Honeymaren said. “Besides the situation we have over there with… her.” 

“I told you it’s nothing.” Elsa said. 

She turned to walk away. She contemplated on whether she should go back to the other Elsa or just leave… 

_Planning on running away again?_

Elsa stopped in her tracks. The words of the other Elsa filled her head. It was quite perplexing how those words rang true despite coming from her other self.

Elsa walked back to Honeymaren who started walking the other direction. 

“Honeymaren!” Elsa called.

Honeymaren turned around, her face and fingers were still bright red. 

“Ok,” Elsa took a deep breath in. “So I went in the morning to go visit Willy because I missed him and then noticed you weren’t there but then I heard you and Ryder talking. I swear I didn’t mean to eavesdrop! I was walking away when I heard you say… that you hated gay people. And I know it sounds weird and honestly this is the first time I’m telling anyone besides my sister but I think I’m gay so if that makes us not friends then I understand because everybody is different I guess… even if it’s mildly wrong. But when I heard that it just kinda set something off in me… so that’s where she came in and I just wanted to tell you because I’m not gonna run away anymore. Also you should hurry and soak your fingers in warm water or else it’ll hurt a lot more than it will later. Ok bye, I’m going to go back to my evil self.”

Elsa finished her rambling and started to walk away because she wouldn’t be able to handle the awkwardness that comes after coming out. 

“Elsa wait!” Honeymaren said. “I just want to clear up that I didn't mean to say any of that stuff and that it was more of your evil counterpart devil whispering to me… no offense I know that she is your other half…”

“None taken,” Elsa said as she stopped walking. “So you don’t hate me?”

“Of course not!” Honeymaren said. “I am literally the farthest from being homophobic.” 

“Really?” Elsa was relieved. “That’s a relief.”

Elsa looked back over at the other Elsa. The other Elsa was hunched over… she looked like she was in pain… 

_She looks… sad… alone…_

Elsa remembered when she was a child and she was left alone in her room. She closed herself off to the world and soon was neglected… ignored...

_She looks like me._

Was that Elsa really bad?

_There is no good Elsa or bad Elsa--just Elsa._

She wasn’t bad… she never felt acceptance or love… Elsa failed to see that and pushed that Elsa into the depths of her mind.

“I think I know how to fix this.”


	20. Chapter 20

“What are you planning?” Honeymaren said, slightly concerned. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Don’t worry about me,” Elsa said. “I’ll be fine.”

“Elsa, you’re not invincible.” Honeymaren pointed out.

“I know,” Elsa replied. Honeymaren reminded her of Anna sometimes. “But trust me. I know what to do.” 

Honeymaren looked at her and looked over at the other Elsa.

“Please?” Elsa said with puppy dog eyes.

“Of course I trust you. Also I’m not your mom, you don’t have to ask me for permission.” Honeymaren sighed. 

“Well even if you said no I was going to go anyways.” Elsa admitted. 

“Yeah, I guessed.” Honeymaren sighed. “Please, try not to get hurt.”

Elsa smiled at her and nodded. 

“Make sure no one gets in close proximity to us. I don’t want anyone getting hurt.” Elsa said as she started running towards the cold vortex. “And you better put your fingers in warm water!”

“You got it,” Honeymaren laughed. 

Elsa pushed through the strong winds and wiped snow from her face as she got closer and closer to the center of the storm. 

“Elsa!” Elsa called out. 

It felt really weird to call out to herself, though it kinda felt relieving in a sense. Elsa really didn’t understand why. The other Elsa looked up and her expression immediately darkened. 

“You’re back?” She said. “Why? Just so you can run away again after putting up a heroic front.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Elsa said as she stepped in front of her other self, who was sitting. “For the majority of my life, I’ve been isolated, ignored, and afraid.” 

“And that’s exactly what you deserved.” The other Elsa said. “You were a nuisance to everyone around you. You were a menace.”

“That’s what you’ve always told me--what I’ve always told myself.” Elsa said. “But no one deserves that kind of treatment and I shouldn’t be telling myself that--you shouldn’t be telling me that.”

“It’s the truth.” The other Elsa stook up; she clearly hated being looked down upon. “You deserve all the bad that’s happened to you. And you deserve everything coming to you in the future.” 

“I’ll be honest, I do believe that I deserve that.” Elsa said. “I’m not a good person.”

The other Elsa struck at her, but Elsa blocked the attack with a flick of her wrist. 

Elsa could feel herself growing powerful, and the other Elsa was growing meek.

“No one deserves to be ignored.” Elsa repeated. “And the same goes for you.”

The other Elsa looked at her. Anger was still potent in her eyes, but the fire behind them was slowly dying. 

“Get away from me,” The other Elsa said.

“No,” Elsa said. “For my whole life I’ve been pushing people away from me. I’ve learned that I shouldn’t… but I guess I didn’t realize that I’ve been ignoring the most important person--you.”

“What are you saying?” The other Elsa said. “Don’t act like you’ve changed. You haven’t.”

Elsa took a step forward and the other Elsa took a step backwards.

“Get away!” The other Elsa screamed and cold winds wrapped around her and ice protected her. 

Elsa looked at the other Elsa and she felt a twang in her heart. She looked exactly like how Elsa had looked about 4 years ago--when she froze Arendelle. She was alone, and she thought she was free. In reality, she was scared of everything. Elsa saw herself. She saw the version of herself that she tried to forget… the version of herself that she was never able to grow out of. She thought that if everything around her was better, surely she had to be better too. Obviously, she was proven wrong as the result of her ignorance stood right in front of her. 

Elsa pushed through the harsh winds and walked towards her other self.

“Elsa!” 

The other Elsa looked at Elsa and glared, but Elsa could clearly see the fear behind it. The fear of what Elsa would do to her.

_Is she going to hurt me?_

_Is she going to kill me?_

Elsa walked closer to the other Elsa before pulling her into a hug. 

“What are you doing?” The other Elsa struggled and pushed. “Let go of me!”

Elsa held on tight as the other Elsa continued to hit Elsa to loosen her grip. Elsa made sure that the other Elsa couldn’t escape. 

“I’m sorry,” Elsa said.

“Let go!” The other Elsa said.

“No, like you said, I’m not running away anymore.” Elsa said. “I’m not gonna abandon you. I won’t ignore you anymore.” 

The other Elsa stopped struggling. She felt so small in Elsa’s arms even though they were literally the same size. 

“I thought that if I could ignore you, everything would get better and I would change.” Elsa admitted. “But I was so stupid.” 

“Yeah…” The other Elsa muttered.

“I tried to grow and change while leaving you behind and I even believed that it was all over. It just comes back and nothing changes if I deny the fact that you are a part of me.” Elsa said.

The other Elsa buried her face in Elsa’s shoulder. Tears streamed down her face. 

"I'm trying to change now." Elsa said. 

“I’ll still be here.” The other Elsa said.

“That’s fine.” Elsa replied. 

“I’ll still be a nuisance.” 

“You’re not a nuisance.”

“You’re lying.”

“Not lying.” Elsa said. “You are me, so you should know that I don’t lie.”

“You’ll go back to what you were like before.” 

“Well, then I guess we have to grow together to overcome that.” Elsa said. “This time, let’s change together.”

The other Elsa didn't reply, but she wrapped her arms around Elsa and that was confirmation enough. Her hands felt cold on her back, but they slowly warmed and gently clutched at Elsa's clothes. A bright light emitted from the other Elsa and Elsa could feel her slipping away. With each second that passed, the other Elsa broke apart into bright particles which fell into Elsa and became one with her. The snow settled and quickly melted under the warm sun. Soon there was only one Elsa left.

“Elsa!” Honeymaren’s voice called. 

Elsa turned her head and smiled at the sight of Honeymaren running towards her. 

“Honeyma-”

Elsa let out an audible “oof” as Honeymaren ran into her, picked her up, and swung her around. 

“You did it!” Honeymaren said.

Honeymaren looked at Elsa and then quickly put her down.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Honeymaren stammered. “That was uncalled for.”

“No,” Elsa said averting her gaze. “It’s fine. It was nice…”

Elsa’s eyes widened as the words left her mouth. 

“Not nice in a weird way!” Elsa said. “Nice in a… nice way…”

Elsa put her head in her hands in embarrassment. All of her previous confidence was gone… but that was to be expected. 

_Nice… she thinks you’re weird now._

“I got you,” Honeymaren laughed. 

Elsa looked up at her and her heart clenched and her mind instantly filled with thoughts both good and bad. 

_I love you._

_Don’t tell her,_

_What if she’s actually homophobic?_

_What if it ruins your relationship?_

_You know what… if she’s homophobic she can eat it…_

_I’m gonna do it._

_Do it._

“I’m sorry in advance,” Elsa said as she grabbed Honeymaren’s collar.

Elsa pulled her in for a kiss and Honeymaren’s eyes widened. Honeymaren instinctively closed her eyes and wrapped her arm around Elsa’s waist. Elsa’s lips were so soft and, even if the kiss was incredibly amateur, it felt like the best thing in the world. Elsa quickly pulled away and they made eye contact. God… Honeymaren’s eyes were so beautiful. Honeymaren’s face was incredibly red but it made her feel better to see that Elsa’s face was equally (if not more) red. 

_Oh my god what did I do?_

Elsa quickly turned around and speed walked away. 

_Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god!_

_I just sexually assaulted my friend._

_That kiss was terrible._

_I’m going to die._

_What was I thinking?_

_It’s over! I need to move away forever and change my name and-_

“Elsa!”

A hand grabbed Elsa and spun her around. It was Honeymaren.

_I’m not ready to face her yet!_

_She’s mad at me._

Honeymaren looked at her in the eyes before saying “Sorry,” and then she kissed her. Elsa’s mind exploded and all the thoughts that she had disappeared. She couldn’t process what was happening. Was it really happening? If this was a dream, Elsa never wanted to wake up. Honeymaren pulled away. They looked at each other in a weird mix of disbelief and happiness.

“Was that ok?” Elsa asked.

“I should be the one asking you that,” Honeymaren laughed.

“I mean,” Elsa stammered. “Yes,”

“So does that mean you like me back?” Honeymaren asked.

“You like me?” Elsa replied in disbelief.

“Well, why else would I kiss you.” Honeymaren laughed. 

“I don’t know,” Elsa shook her head. “Because you felt bad?”

“No,” Honeymaren laughed. “It’s because I like you… did you kiss me because you felt bad?”

“No!” Elsa replied. “I like you! A lot!”

Elsa’s face grew red and she covered her face in embarrassment. Honeymaren couldn’t help but smile. It was adorable how the taller girl grew more and more bashful with every word that exited her lips. 

“I’m sorry that’s embarrassing.” Elsa muttered.

“No,” Honeymaren said. “It’s nice to hear you say it… it’s a nice reminder that this isn’t a dream. Is it a dream?”

“I don’t think it is.” Elsa said. 

“I sure hope not,” Honeymaren said.

The two of them leaned in towards each other and kissed again. All of the previous stress and anxiety disappeared on both ends and at that moment their thoughts were filled with each other. Elsa was so happy but she couldn’t articulate her feelings into words, but that didn’t matter at this moment because. All that mattered was not the past, present, or future--it was Honeymaren. Though Elsa knew that her journey to change and get better would be hard and challenging, it was possible and nothing would bring her down ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story only has one more chapter left!
> 
> I'm sorry if it seems rushed or the romance wasn't there as much as you might want... but I think short and sweet romance is pretty sweet haha!
> 
> If you enjoyed leave a kudo or comment! Get hyped for the last chapter!


	21. Chapter 21

Elsa rode on the back of the Nokk as they rode back to Northuldra. The wind felt nice against her skin and she loved how it ran through her hair. The Nokk’s gallop began to slow down as it started to also become distracted by the nice wind and smooth feel of water under its hooves.

“Come on buddy,” Elsa said to the Nokk. “Can’t slow down now,”

The Nokk snorted and picked up speed and soon they were on land, where Elsa dismounted. 

“Sorry,” Elsa apologized. “Next time, we can ride and enjoy the day. I promise!” 

Elsa turned to walk away at a slightly quicker pace. She was meeting Honeymaren to see if Willy made any progress. Elsa did not want to miss the chance of Willy actually being able to walk properly. 

“Hi, Elsa!” Cheyenne greeted. “Beautiful day, isn’t it?”

Elsa smiled and shoved down the slight anxiety that began to bubble in her throat. 

“Hello. It’s a wonderful day.” Elsa said. “What do you plan to do today?”

“Well, first I got work to do,” Cheyenne started, “Then I think I’ll hang out with my friends!”

“That sounds fun,” Elsa replied.

Elsa smiled, but she didn’t know how much longer she could keep the conversation from turning awkward… and once that happened it would be over for her. 

Should I end the conversation?

How?

Will she think I’m being rude?

“Cheyenne!” A man’s voice called. 

“Oh! That’s my signal to leave,” Cheyenne smiled. “I’ll see you around!”

Elsa waved goodbye and smiled. She was slightly relieved but at the same time, she was happy that she was able to speak to someone without the conversation ending in one sentence. Elsa smiled to herself before gasping.

“I’m going to be late!” Elsa muttered to herself. 

She began walking at a quicker pace than before and by the time she got to the stables and was a little breathless. 

“There you are!” Honeymaren said. “I thought you forgot!” 

“Of course not,” Elsa smiled. “I just was running a little late.”

“Well, at least you made it,” Honeymaren smiled. “Willy misses you a whole bunch.”

“I can’t wait to see the progress he has made!” Elsa replied. 

The two of them walked over to Willy’s stall. Elsa felt a lot more comfortable around Honeymaren… was it because they were dating and Elsa had to feel comfortable? Elsa smiled because she knew that wasn’t the answer. 

“What have you been doing lately?” Honeymaren asked. “I haven’t seen you around.”

“I went back to Arendelle for a bit and played games with Anna, Olaf, Kristoff, and Sven. Then I went to Atohallen. I’ve been wandering around. Not doing anything special.” Elsa asked. “What about you?”

“You know me,” Honeymaren laughed. “I’m just keeping eye on the reindeer and occasionally hunting.”

“I can imagine how cool you look when you hunt,” Elsa said. “I remember when we first met and you pointed a staff at us. It was so intimidating! If I were an animal and saw you, I’d probably run away.”

Elsa looked at Honeymaren as if she said something bad.

“I’m sorry, was that rude?” She asked. “I didn’t mean it as if you’re scary or anything! I meant to say that you were cool and-”

Honeymaren laughed.

“Don’t worry,” Honeymaren put a hand on her shoulder. “I knew you meant no harm by what you said. Plus, I see that as a great compliment!”

Elsa looked at Honeymaren as if to say “really?”, which Honeymaren nodded to confirm. Honeymaren opened the door to Willy’s stable and picked him up. Elsa and Honeymaren walked out of the stables and then placed him in the open. When Honeymaren put him down, he immediately plopped down. 

“Ok buddy,” Honeymaren smiled. “Let’s see what you got.”

Elsa watched as Willy struggled to get up. Soon, he stood up but he hadn’t moved yet.

You got this Willy!

Elsa leaned forward in anticipation as Willy seemed to grow more and more confident. Willy took a step forward, and then another one, and then another. Elsa watched in amazement and Honeymaren was jumping up and down in excitement. Willy wasn’t perfect; his legs were bowed and they shook slightly with each step, but it was progress and he was still walking. 

A tear fell from Elsa’s face. She wiped it and looked down at her hands. She didn’t know what the reason behind her tears was, but watching Willy hit close to home for her. It inspired her. Elsa smiled and pet Willy’s head as she plopped in front of Elsa while looking up with innocence in his eyes. 

“Good job,” Elsa said softly.

Honeymaren let out a cheer and laughed. 

“That was amazing buddy!” She said. 

After a while of Willy prancing and plopping around, Honeymaren walked over to pick him up. 

“We don’t want to overwork you!” Honeymaren pet Willy’s head. “We’ll be back tomorrow.”

Honeymaren put Willy back into his stable and gave him his favorite treat: carrots. 

Honeymaren walked out of the stables and smiled at Elsa, who was waiting outside. 

“He’s a tough one,” Honeymaren laughed. “I was surprised. He had improved so much. Soon he’ll be out and about with the others.”

“That’s amazing,” Elsa replied.

“I would say it’s a miracle,” Honeymaren said. “But I knew he had it in him from the beginning.”

“Things will only get better from here on out.” Elsa smiled.

Honeymaren looked at Elsa and nodded. 

“It always does.”

Elsa smiled at Honeymaren and they walked hand-in-hand away from the tribe.

“So where are we going?” Elsa asked.

“You’ll see,” Honeymaren replied.

“Planning to walk?” Elsa raised an eyebrow.

“I thought it was a nice day to walk,” Honeymaren said. “Plus, it’ll be easier to talk while walking compared to talking while riding reindeer.”

“So, anything new?” Honeymaren asked. “Tell me about your week.”

“I thought I told you?” Elsa said.

“I want to know more though,” Honeymaren said. 

“What do you want to know?” Elsa looked at Honeymaren. 

“Anything,” said Honeymaren. 

“That doesn’t really narrow it down.” Elsa laughed.

“Well, then tell me everything,” Honeymaren replied. 

“The weather was nice…?”

“Why are you saying it as if you’re unsure.” Honeymaren laughed. 

“I didn’t know if that was a good starting point.” Elsa chuckled. 

“Better than nothing.” Honeymaren smiled. 

The two of them talked and laughed. Elsa slowly grew more confident and the conversation picked up speed. 

“Anna told me that she and Ryder were sending back letters after accidentally telling each other that we liked each other. I could imagine the two of them in that situation.” Elsa laughed. 

“That explains so much!” Honeymaren realized. “No wonder he started to bug me more than usual.”

“Anna thought that Ryder liked me because he was apparently really bad at fishing,” Elsa said.

“I could imagine that.” Honeymaren laughed. “Probably said something like ‘I want to know for a friend.’ which we all know… most of the time it’s not.”

Elsa laughed, which made Honeymaren smile. 

“I still can’t believe that you actually like me,” Honeymaren said. “I must’ve saved a king in my past life to deserve you.”

Elsa blushed and quickly shook her head. 

“What are you saying?” Elsa said. “If anything, I’m the one that’s honored that you allowed me to be your girlfriend.”

“You’re right, I am pretty amazing.” Honeymaren joked. 

By the time the two had arrived at their destination, the sun had already set and the sky was dark besides the faint glow from the stars and moon. 

“Watch your step,” Honeymaren said to Elsa as they walked down a hill. 

“The stars look so beautiful,” Elsa observed as she gazed at the night sky. 

Elsa was too focused on what was above her that she ignored what was underneath her and stepped on uneven grounds and she lost her balance. She let out a little “whoa”, but then she felt an arm wrap around her waist.

“Told ya,” Honeymaren said in a slightly amused tone. 

Elsa blushed as Honeymaren’s grip tightened around her. Honeymaren tried to pull her up but Elsa started to laugh as Honeymaren’s hands moved over to a sensitive spot on her side. The two of them fell with Honeymaren’s arms wrapped around her to cushion Elsa’s fall. 

“Are you ok?” Honeymaren asked. 

Elsa looked down and realized that she was on top of Honeymaren and their face was incredibly close. She began to blush again.

“I’m so sorry!” Elsa said as she tried to get up, but Honeymaren wouldn’t let her go. 

“Hey it’s fine,” Honeymaren laughed. “Why are you in a rush to get up?”

“I’m heavy.” Elsa said quickly, but that was a lie. Elsa just couldn’t keep herself composed when being this close to Honeymaren. 

“No, you’re not.” Honeymaren laughed. “Please, my brother has jumped on top of me numerous times. You are a feather compared to him. Plus, it’s best to stargaze laying down.”

“Can’t do a lot of stargazing facing this way.” Elsa smiled.

“Complaining?” Honeymaren teased. 

“No,” 

Elsa leaned in for a quick kiss. She could feel a slight smile on Honeymaren’s lips, which caused Elsa to smile as well. Honeymaren broke off the kiss and started laughing and soon Elsa was laughing as she rolled off the top of her girlfriend. 

“You’re so cute,” Honeymaren said as she calmed down. 

“Is that what we were laughing at?” Elsa raised an eyebrow. “I thought it was because that kiss was so awkward.”

“That too,” Honeymaren laughed. “But I loved it.” 

The two of them looked at the stars hand-in-hand. The warmth from Honeymaren’s hand was comforting. Elsa looked over at Honeymaren--the sight of her marveled Elsa more than the constellations above them. Honeymaren caught Elsa looking and smiled at her. 

“Do I have something on my face?” She teased.

“I love your eyes,” Elsa replied.

“That was random,” Honeymaren laughed, but Elsa could tell she was flustered. 

Elsa laughed. She looked at Honeymaren and her heart felt fulfilled. She wasn’t fulfilled because she had someone in her life that she could call her girlfriend, but the thought of her being able to have a person like that made her happy. A week ago she couldn’t have even imagined even being able to enter an intimate relationship like this… but here she is, living her dream.

Elsa wished she could go back a week, a month. No, even further. She wished she could go back to those times she locked herself into her room and give herself a hug. Elsa wished she could tell her younger self that everything was going to be alright. She wanted to tell her about how it was ok to be different and she didn’t need to hide it. She wanted to tell her that she was going to be happy, so don’t be scared.   
Anyone can ask her: “How are you doing now?” 

A week ago, she would try to end the conversation and say the same line to get the conversation over even when she didn’t mean it. Now, it was different. Now, with a big smile, she can happily reply:

“I’m doing great! Thanks for asking!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Sorry it took so long! I was indecisive on how to finish it. I hope you enjoyed it as I enjoyed writing it!   
> Once again, thank you so much for your support and thank you for reading!!!


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